Shatterstar
by Kamui Senketsu
Summary: She wasn't some naive hero in training. She wasn't wearing a dream too big for her, nor did she have a death wish. But she would have her justice. Being a hero in training was a means to an end, and anyone in her way could burn. OC Centric. Warning: Dark themes, blood, violence, cursing etc. Previously named Silver Sirius. This is an AU. Details and events WILL change.
1. Prologue: Little Did We Know

**A/N: I think it's important you all know that despite the genre tags, and despite how the story may appear after a while, this story is a dark one. And it will remain as such.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

Many are born with quirks, just another way to describe superhuman abilities and characteristics, mutations and adaptations. They have dominated society in a way not seen since the earliest discoveries of mankind. Eighty percent of the world is born with a quirk, twenty percent of those people are not. They are born quirkless. Only three percent of people in Japan are born without a quirk.

In the early years of quirk society, many with quirks used their abilities to commit crime, and some went beyond simple crimes to become truly horrible people: villains. Villains were interested in destroying, remaking, and controlling society. Equally, heroes arose to fight them and to save those who could not save themselves. As the world changed, people did with it, and just as people changed, some things remained relatively the same.

Among the many things about humanity that remained the same, there is one thing that Kasha Yūrei found to be a fundamental truth at the tender age of thirteen.

Some people don't strive for glory, to change the world, be it to save others or harm them. To do anything truly noteworthy. Some people just do things because they want to. And sometimes that means hurting someone beyond what is socially acceptable. Sometimes it means that one becomes a monster, and there is no other reason other than the fact that they like it.

 _Kasha stared at the man across from her, holding her five year old sister captive. He was tall, in his early twenties with white-blonde hair and dark eyes like an abyss, full of human depravity and bloodlust. He had gaunt features and a willowy form, towering over them both._

 _Kasha's eyes stung with tears, her body trembling at the knife the crazy man held to her sobbing sister's throat._

 _Off to the side her mother was dead in the floor, arms and abdomen sliced to ribbons, her house dress dyed red with her own blood. Her father sat in a dining room chair, tied to it, his head was thrown back, and his throat was split deeply from ear to ear, his shirt soaked down the front from when the wound had spewed blood._

 _Kasha and Kaji had walked into this scene upon returning home, and the crazy man responsible had snatched Kaji away, holding an already bloodied hunter's knife to the five year old's jugular._

 _He motioned with his head to the knife that was weakly grasped in her dead mother's hand._

 _"Use that." He said. "Cut yourself."_

Kasha remembered that she couldn't stop shaking. She'd been so scared.

 _She knew right away that the man had made her mother cut herself to death, threatening her father if she didn't._

 _The blonde man shivered in delight. He rejoiced in her despair, and her fear, and her hopelessness._

 _"If you don't…" He began menacingly. "Maybe I'll have to have a little fun with Kaji-chan here? She's a little young, but just as sweet and innocent as you down there. So maybe I'll just pretend she's you when I fuck her, and then I'll punch her little virgin body full of holes."_

 _"Nee-chan!" Kaji choked, tears spilling down her face, her cheeks bloodless, silver eyes wide with terror. "Nee-chan please help me!"_

 _Kasha gritted her teeth, wanting so badly to be capable of doing what her sister begged of her. That helpless plea was more than enough. Of course Kasha was afraid, she was more afraid than she could ever remember being, but this psychopath would not touch her little sister._

Kasha remembered thinking that, so she'd gone for the knife, prying it from her mother's cold dead fingers.

 _Kasha shook like a leaf in storm, and she stared the madman right in the eyes as she held the weapon over her right wrist, fighting to stop shaking._

 _"Don't you touch her." Kasha growled, seemingly only delighting him more. "It's not her you want."_

 _No, it wasn't Kaji he wanted._

 _Kasha knew that, because she knew him._

 _Well, in passing. Kasha wouldn't say she was a good person, just a moderately decent one, and any decent person would help someone else if they had the ability to._

 _Two weeks prior to the horrible day Kasha stood in her home with two dead parents and her kid sister taken hostage, Kasha had saved the very blonde man that had taken her parents from her from being bullied._

 _He was a college student that apparently got bullied all the time. Kasha couldn't have known that he was a closet psychopath. She couldn't have known that he was the infamous serial killer The Ripper that was going around the city leaving dead women rended in alleyways in his wake._

 _She couldn't have known that he would become fixated on her because of her stepping in, and would stalk her for two full weeks. Couldn't have known that he would break into her house and force her mother to mutilate herself in front of her father, and then slit her father's throat after it was "game over". Couldn't have known that he would take Kaji hostage and threaten to rape her even though she was only five if Kasha didn't do as her mother did and cut herself._

 _No, Kasha hadn't known any of those things would happen._

 _Even still, she was paying for it._

 _"If you're a good girl, Kaji-chan can go." The psycho had promised. "Just… just cut. You'll look so pretty Ka-chan, all full of holes, even prettier than your mommy. Don't you think? Haa, just thinking about it gets me excited. I can't wait until you're dyed all red, and then we can have more fun. I won't have to touch Kaji-chan once you're bleeding Ka-chan, 'cause then that's when the magic starts."_

Kasha learned that day what hatred was. Not the definition, not the context in which to use it, but the actual feeling of utterly despising someone else.

 _This scum… this completely irredeemable waste of flesh psychopath had murdered her parents, and was threatening her little sister. He intended to rape Kasha after forcing her to slice herself open. He had already threatened to rape Kaji if Kasha didn't do as he said._

 _If he thought that he was going to get away with it… he had another thing coming._

 _Kasha would have her revenge, her merciless justice._

 _And so, looking her tormentor in the eye, hearing the sobs of her poor innocent sister, smelling the overwhelming stench of her parents' shedded blood, she sliced into her own flesh._

* * *

At age fifteen, Kasha Yūrei was well aware of how horrible humans could truly be. She was aware that heroes didn't always save people, and that sometimes one needed to be strong enough to protect what's important to them themselves.

Kasha had not been strong enough to save her parents, hadn't even been aware that she needed to be.

She hadn't been strong enough to keep Kaji's innocent eyes from seeing such horrid things the day their lives changed forever.

But the current her was well aware.

That was why she stood before a large gate, waiting to take the hero exam to get into U.A high, so that she could someday get her own hero license.

Kaji was… gone. Kasha had sent her away to live with their only living relative in Japan. Their father's younger sister.

 _'Someday... when I'm strong enough, I'll come get you Kaji. But for now... please forget about me.'_

Silver eyes stared with false solemnity, and slightly pointed ears listened to the voice of the pro hero Present Mic announce the test had started, and the other teens around her rushed in to snag their chance, the chance to become heroes.

Little did anyone know, Kasha wasn't like them. She didn't hope to be a hero. She simply found the route necessary to gain access to the information networks she needed to achieve her real goal.

"Someday..." She murmured in a solemn tone.

She felt her skin warm as she called upon her quirk.

"Someday I'll find the one who took my family from me, and I _will_ get justice."

* * *

 **Trivia:**

 **-Kasha (火車, "burning chariot") Kasha are a type of bake-neko, or monster cat. They are large, bipedal felines as large as or larger than a human. They are often accompanied by hellish flames or lightning. They often live among humans, disguised as ordinary house cats or strays. However, they reveal their true forms during funeral services, when they leap down from rooftops to snatch corpses out of their coffin, to either animate and use them as puppets, or eat them. (From Yokai(dot goes here) com).**

 **-Yūrei (幽霊, "faint spirit, ghost")**


	2. Hero Exam

**Chapter 1**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

Kasha was an average height girl for someone of the age of fifteen, her form slim and fit. Her appearance was abnormal, but ironically normal because of the type of world she lived in.

She had bone white hair that fell to the back of her upper thighs, usually styled in odango buns with flowing pigtails trailing from them. She had long bangs framing her face and a few stray wispy curls falling against her forehead. Her eyes were perpetually sleepy looking, silver and half lidded, framed by prominent white lashes. But this was all that could be seen of her features besides her nearly white skin, and slightly pointed ears. Why? Because she wore a black cloth face mask that doubled as a long sleeved leotard and nothing else. Her legs and feet were bare, and she received quite a few questioning looks for her getup, or lack thereof.

Kasha knew her "clothing" was strange for someone not yet a hero, but she'd had to leave the rest of her things in a locker back in the locker room U.A had permitted exam takers to use for the duration of the Hero Test. Unlike her mask/leotard which was made up of extremely durable heat resisting cloth harboring various alloy nanofibers, her other clothes were normal. Kasha had only seven leotards, one for each day of the week, because they were incredibly expensive due to the fact that they were custom made for her, all to withstand her quirk.

Unfortunately she had to use said ability sparingly, because even though they were made for her, the leotards couldn't withstand the highest forms of her quirk.

The gates swung open, revealing an urban setting, a literal concrete jungle made for the sole purpose of the Hero Exam.

"Whaddyou kids waitin' for?" Present Mic's voice cackled, amplified by hidden speakers. "The test has already started!"

The teens around the white haired girl rushed into action, activating their quirks.

Kasha waited several beats, not at all bothered by the fact that she'd been completely left behind. She preferred to activate her quirk when others weren't too close. It was dangerous after all. The white haired teen sucked in a calming breath, steeling her well hidden nerves, and closed her eyes.

She called upon her quirk, her pale skin immediately setting alight. The hair bands holding her buns together were instantly carbonized, and the long strands flew up, floating around her like a halo.

Kasha's whole body glowed white-hot, she took a step, her foot melting the concrete ground, burning a print into it forever.

The teen crouched low, bracing, feeling herself burn hotter, and with a burst of energy, she shot off into the air, a trail of white flames following her.

Kasha was hot enough to terribly burn anything she touched, but not quite enough to ruin her one piece.

The teen usually tried to stay somewhere between 1,300° F and 2,200° F when her quirk was activated, which were temperatures common for fresh lava. She did this because going over the stated temperatures would incinerate her leotard. Kasha wasn't ashamed of the scars it hid, but she wasn't a voyeur either, so she was mindful. (And again, they were expensive, she wasn't going to go destroying them at the drop of a hat).

Glowing, all white eyes scanned the city below, watching as her fellow hero hopefuls battled with large, bipedal, army green robots.

The fire lit teen passed over an alleyway, spotting a blonde haired boy below getting smacked to the side by a robot. He had already taken down three on his own, but the one that had struck him had come up from behind. He was obviously disoriented by the blow, if the way he stumbled to his feet and shook his head was any indication.

Kasha made her decision in an instant.

She tucked her arms close to her sides, allowing herself to descend, her position allowing her to fall faster. She narrowed her eyes in order to see clearly, but any debris would be incinerated before they could harm her.

Even in the daytime she appeared to be a streak of light across the sky, a shooting star. At the last possible moment she flipped, allowing her feet to face the robot instead. The heat of her body melted a hole into the contraption's head before she even struck it, and it exploded on impact.

Kasha reeled in her quirk, using the force from the explosion to fuel the momentum of her backflip, landing in a neat crouch. Her now free hair fell around her in white curtains, shielding her masked face.

The boy she had saved gawked at her as she stood to her full height slowly. Now that she was closer, she could see a black lightning bolt shaped streak decorating his wild yellow hair. He had gold eyes, and Kasha was not oblivious to the way they raked over her appearance, lingering a little too long on her bare legs for her liking.

A friendly grin lightened his features.

"Good looking out stranger, thanks for saving my buns! They were almost toast!"

 _'Buns…?'_ Kasha thought, none of her slight amusement showing in her sleepy, solemn eyes.

She simply nodded once in acknowledgement, turning to take her leave.

"W-wait!" The boy suddenly sputtered.

Despite herself, the scarred teen paused, tilting her head a little. She silently asked him what he wanted.

"That's it?" The blonde gawped. "You just saved me! Don't you… I dunno, don't you have something you wanna say? Dusting me off is kinda cold…"

He was right, but they didn't really have any time for formality. Or goofing off, not that either were things Kasha made a habit of. But more presently, they only had a little while to accumulate enough points to pass, and Kasha had every intention of passing.

"You're okay," She murmured, her voice soft. "There's nothing to say."

The boy's small yellow brows rose incredulously.

"Wow, you're one of _those_ huh?" He whistled a little, seeming to have caught his bearings, a sly look flavoring his features instead. "A tundra diva."

Kasha would admit to the fact that her expression grew completely flat in a different manner than normal at that remark.

"So…" He said conversationally, completely out of place in a literal battleground. "How about you and me hang out a little after this? You know, my way of thanking you for saving my skin and stuff."

"No." Kasha deadpanned.

"Ouch, no hesitation." The blonde winced, but Kasha could see it was all in good humour. "You are ice cold babe. I'm Kaminari Denki by the way. But you can call me Denki-kun."

 _'This guy is ridiculous.'_ She thought wryly.

Outwardly, Kasha blinked emotionlessly. After several beats of awkward silence, she shifted on her feet slightly. Kasha then abruptly activated her quirk full force, a small smirk lifting the corners of her hidden lips when "Denki-kun" was blown off his feet from the small shockwave that was a direct result of firing up so quickly with so much heat.

Glowing with ghostly white flames, Kasha took to the sky.

"Hey!" Denki called up to her, indignant. "We are so hanging out the next time we meet!"

Kasha snorted a little.

"Not gonna hold my breath." She grumbled.

She wasn't sure if she'd ever see the weird, goofily flirtatious boy again, and even if she did, she didn't really want to make connections to other people. Getting attached… it wasn't a luxury she had at the moment.

Perhaps after she completed her goal.

 _'Until then, maybe.'_ Kasha thought.

* * *

It was only about two minutes after Kasha had left behind Kaminari that she noticed four villain robots all by their lonesome pacing back and forth in yet another alleyway. They were bigger than the one she'd saved Kaminari from, so she knew that they were worth more points.

 _'Time to rack up some points.'_ She thought.

She allowed herself to descend rapidly, a white blur that slammed into the ground leaving a huge crater in its wake. She flared up her fire as hot as she was capable at the exact moment of impact. A dome of white hot plasma expanded around her, melting the metal of her green adversaries and stopping them in place immediately.

As quickly as the explosion happened it was gone, leaving the scent of smoke, ash, and burning metal behind. The robots stood in place, glowing red-orange, their forms distorted and sagging as they dribbled sizzling reheated metal onto the concrete. The two buildings on either side of her were scorched beyond recognition, huge glowing rimmed holes on both of them from where the heat had eaten through their material.

Kasha calmly made her way from the crater she'd created, silver eyes searching for more opponents. The test was by no means difficult for her, and she destroyed several villain bots without breaking a sweat. She just hoped the exam graders didn't deduct points for destruction of property. Kasha was powerful, but unfortunately she didn't have much finesse. It was part of the reason she hadn't immediately activated her quirk on the awful day that set her on the path of a hero.

The day she lost nearly everything.

Kasha's lack of control was part of the reason she wanted to get into U.A. She was bound to get better in Japan's most renowned Hero School.

The teen shoved a flamed covered fist through the torso of the tenth villain bot she'd come across, pulling her arm free a moment later after the contraption spasmed and malfunctioned violently.

She took her leave, and less than a minute later she smoothly sidestepped a wayward purple lazer fired from the bellybutton of some strangely smiling blonde boy. Without missing a beat, she finished the squirming bot off with a jet of white fire expelled from the palm of her hand, ignoring the way the lazer boy pouted at her for stealing his points.

Unconcerned, the white haired teen made her way onto the main street, blinking a little in confusion when she saw a bunch of students running in the opposite direction to where she was heading.

 _'What's going on…?'_ She wondered.

And then, she felt it.

The ground _quaked._

Kasha sucked in a breath, her sleepy eyes widening slightly when she saw a huge robot with a big crimson zero painted across its face. It literally towered over the buildings. Just where in the name of all that was mighty did U.A get the funding for such things?

 _'Present Mic wasn't kidding around.'_ She thought, grimly watching the giant move closer.

There was already rubble everywhere. Teens were fleeing, a few stragglers were frantically glancing towards the behemoth bot with horror. A symphony of concerned and disgruntled words were shared between the examinees, but the fire quirked girl said nothing.

Kasha paused, tilting her head a little when she finally noticed what seemed to have everyone so out of sorts, (well, besides the giant fighting robot).

There was a girl trapped beneath a slab of concrete from a totaled building.

"They wouldn't _actually_ let someone die, right…?" Someone muttered, uncertain.

"Should we do something?" Wondered another.

"Uh, I think she'll be okay. This is just a test, remember?" Said yet someone else.

Now, Kasha wouldn't claim to be an ideal hero, because her reason for wanting to become one was entirely selfish, but the fact that so many people had to contemplate on whether or not they should help someone so obviously in need was appalling to the silver eyed girl.

But apparently, she had spoken too soon, because someone stepped up to the plate.

An average height boy with wild dark green hair zipped across the street, leaping into action. Kasha watched in awe as he soared from a single jump, a bellow expelling from deep within his belly.

 _"Smaaaaaashhhh!"_

The huge robot exploded into a shower of destroyed parts.

People gasped and gaped at the formidable show of might from one single boy.

But Kasha saw more than his might. She watched worriedly as she realized he was being taken into freefall's embrace, his arm and both his legs twisted oddly and flopping grotesquely around as he fell.

The pale teen had seen quite enough.

Someone willing to break themself like that for the sake of someone else… the least Kasha could do was make sure he landed safely.

And so, Kasha darted forward, activating her quirk with such ferocity that she blew everyone behind her off of their feet with a searing gust of air. She utterly ignored their yelps of surprise and indignation.

She was close to the boy in a fraction of a second, retracting her quirk so that she didn't hurt him. She shifted mid-air, so that his back collided with her chest, and she firmly wrapped her right arm around him protectively. The pale teen extended her left hand behind them both, focusing her quirk into said appendage, expelling a jet of phantom white flames that slowed their fall to something more manageable. Kasha had positioned them so that she could take the brunt of the fall.

Her brows lined with sweat from the effort to maintain the flames, feeling the strain of all of her power focused in a single arm instead of evenly distributed around her whole body.

"Dammit!" She tutted, feeling her hold on the heat extinguish.

Abruptly, Kasha lost control, her flames cutting off so that they both fell the last few feet to the ground. Kasha grunted as the boy slammed on top of her and crushed her back into the ground. They both moaned in pain.

Kasha stared listlessly up at the blue cloudless sky, trying to clear her vision. Her head had hit the ground after her back. It was truly a wonder she was even still conscious.

She felt a breeze on her left arm, and it took her attention away from the pain, knowing that her last stunt had completely obliterated the sleeve. Kasha's arm was sore, in a way that told of fresh burns, and much too warm, probably also an irritated red from forcing all of her fire into one limb, something that she wasn't built for.

"W-Who…?" The boy slurred.

"Doesn't matter." Kasha muttered, quite winded as she shifted her head a little, (because the boy's mint smelling, wild green hair was obscuring her vision slightly).

"Y-you saved me." He stuttered quietly, his voice strained from the egregious breaks his limbs had suffered.

"And you saved that girl." Kasha returned, sitting up with great effort after catching her breath. She made sure the boy's head comfortably rested in her lap, and was quite sure that his blush was a trick of the eye. "Don't worry about it."

"T-thank you." The boy whimpered.

He was looking off to the side, at a stray villain bot moving away from them.

"I-I just w-wish I had g-gotten at least one p-point." He said mournfully.

Kasha pursed her lips.

He sacrificed his chance at becoming a hero in U.A's course for someone else. If anyone deserved to be a hero, it was him. Of this she was sure. And because of it, Kasha couldn't help reaching up, patting his deceptively soft hair comfortingly.

"You did good." Kasha promised.

If she noticed the tears dripping onto her bare thighs at her words, she didn't say anything. After that, the green haired boy finally slumped in unconsciousness.

Even if his expression was still agonized, Kasha was relieved to see that her words had lightened his burden just a little.

* * *

 **Name:** Kasha Yūrei

 **Blood Type:** AB(-)

 **Height:** 168 cm (5' 6")

 **Eye Color:** Silver

 **Hair Color:** White

 **Birthday:** October 13th

 **Personality:** Unknown.

 **Quirk:** Supernova. She can light her whole body up with very hot gas. This gas is mostly hydrogen and helium, which are the two lightest elements. Like a star, she shines by burning hydrogen into helium from within her core. In this state she emits incredible levels of heat, can fly, and fire off powerful blasts of "fire", but in reality it is superheated plasma. Her mother's quirk was Nekomata, and she could turn into a two tailed cat covered in flames, (her quirk is a mixture of the Body Flare, a quirk that allows one to light their body on fire, and the Bakeneko, a quirk that allows the user to turn into a giant bipedal cat). Her father's quirk was Float. He could create a dense sphere of helium around himself and any object to make it float. Supernova is a mutation of the Nekomata and Float quirks. Kasha doesn't turn into a flaming cat, but her body can be set alight, and she can "float" by rapidly burning the helium her body gives off.


	3. My Hero Academia

**Wow, people like Kasha, I'm so happy! Thank you so much for reading you guys, your feedback only fuels my muse. Hopefully I can deliver a good story to you awesome peeps.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

"TIMES UP!"

Kasha breathed out in relief at the sound of Present Mic's voice, happy to hear that the test was over. A few staff from the school were helping the brown haired girl trapped beneath the rubble out. They were making sure she was okay, and Kasha tuned her out once it was confirmed that she was in one piece.

 _'I would hope so, considering how badly this poor guy broke himself to save her…'_ She thought, glancing down at her slumped charge.

The silver eyed girl's attention was then captured a moment later by a little old lady with a neat gray bun, laugh lines, and relaxed eyes walking over in a lab coat and baby pink boots. Kasha recognized her as Chiyo Shuzenji, or more commonly known as the pro hero, the "Youthful Heroine" Recovery Girl. She possessed a quirk that allowed her to amplify, as well as speed up the human body's healing process by kissing them.

The unconscious green haired boy's head was still resting in Kasha's lap as she carded the fingers of her uninjured hand through his soft, fluffy tufts.

"Recovery-san." Kasha greeted quietly.

"Hello young lady, you did well taking care of this reckless young man."

"I didn't really do anything." Kasha pointed out.

The old woman shook her head lightly, moving closer with the aid of her syringe shaped cane, puckering her lips and placing a loud kiss on the injured boy's forehead.

"No, you cared for him and protected him when he needed it most, a time when he couldn't do so for himself." Recovery Girl said. "So, I wouldn't exactly say that you did nothing."

It didn't show, but the old woman's words warmed the inside of Kasha's chest. The white haired girl simply dipped her head in acknowledgement, not one to argue futile points.

"Oh my gosh, are you two okay!?" A boisterous voice interrupted, the brown haired girl with large pretty eyes that had been trapped rushing over.

She was shorter than Kasha, but that wasn't a surprise, seeing as the white haired girl was on the taller side, standing at 168 centimeters.

"They'll be fine." Recovery Girl assured the fretting teen. "This reckless one will need rest, but he'll make a full recovery."

The brown haired girl sighed audibly in relief, and then she surprised Kasha by swiftly bowing, yelling, "Thank you so much!"

"What're you thanking me for?" Kasha asked quietly. "He's the one that saved you."

"I know! But then you just swooped in and helped him, I was way too slow to stop him from falling, but you were totally awesome, so thank you!"

"Ah." Was all Kasha could manage, shrugging.

"Is he your friend or something? What's your name? You both have really wicked quirks! Oh, and I'm Ochako Uraraka!"

The silver eyed teen was completely floored by the shorter girl's rapid fire questions, wondering absently how someone could have that much enthusiasm after a near death experience.

"No, I don't know this boy." Kasha finally settled on. "Today is a first for us all I guess."

"Hm?" Ochako blinked at this, but then seemed to gather herself. "Well, even still. You guys were too cool out there, thanks again."

Kasha just shrugged again, but the lively Ochako took her less than social behavior in stride, once again changing the subject slightly.

"Oh! It looks like you hurt yourself too though, your arm's all red! Are you sure you're okay?" Ochako blurted, her wide eyes studying said irritated appendage.

Recovery Girl's attention zeroed in on Kasha's burned arm.

"It's fine." Kasha murmured. "I just pushed myself in a way I'm not used to. My quirk is meant to be regulated around my whole body, not into a single limb. I don't have enough control for that yet."

It was irritating, but it was also the truth. Kasha's control was atrocious, this fact was proven by the measly few seconds she had been able to maintain focusing her quirk into her arm to slow her descent while rescuing the boy.

"Oh my, that's a rather large second degree burn, let me see it for a second young lady." Recovery Girl said, moving closer, not really giving Kasha a chance to refuse as she took her injured arm into her small, caring hands.

The old woman shifted Kasha's arm carefully, so that her wrist faced up. The silver eyed girl felt the old woman's grip tighten ever so slightly at the seven, sloppy slash marks still very much apparent against her burned flesh.

Kasha knew what her scars implied, but she hadn't cut herself because of the usual reasons a teenager would do so. She hadn't been depressed and trapped in that sense.

She had been forced to cut her own flesh, or risk watching a madman slice her sister Kaji's throat from ear to ear, just as he had did to Kasha's father mere minutes before she'd arrived home that horrible day.

Kasha heard Ochako take in a startled breath, she too, spotting the ugly, long slash marks marring her arm. But no one commented on them. Kasha idly wondered how they would react to the sight of her whole body, her legs and face being the only things spared from the scarring.

But Recovery Girl centered the teen again by simply leaning in and placing a caring kiss onto Kasha's burned skin. The willowy teen felt a soothing warmth spread throughout her arm. The warmth gradually faded, and as it did, so did the irritated, bright red color of her injury. Curiously, Kasha felt like a hunk of her stamina had been eaten away, and her eyes drooped a little more than usual, giving her an even more sleepy appearance.

She was tired.

"Thank you Recovery-san." She whispered, realizing it was an effect of the woman's quirk.

"Think nothing of it." The older woman waved off, having released Kasha's arm. "But do think more of your limits in the future. It wouldn't do to injure yourself beyond what you can endure."

Kasha nodded, taking the medic's words to heart. Of course Kasha would still push her limits in her quest to grow stronger, but she would be more mindful of said limitations in the future.

Before any of them could be any more distracted, a few people dressed in white with red crosses on their backs rushed over carrying a stretcher. Recovery Girl snapped to, lifting her cane and waving it at them chidingly.

"It's about time you got here you fools, this boy is just lying about unconscious and needs to be transferred to a bed for rest." The old woman nagged. "Hurry along now."

"Hai, Recovery-san." They responded in perfect sync.

Kasha allowed them to take the boy from her, not realizing that her hand had been in his hair the whole time. Ochako began fretting a little more as the green haired boy was taken away, assured one last time by Recovery Girl that he would be okay before the old woman took her leave.

Kasha stood a little shakily, her legs slightly numb after sitting with a weight on them for so long.

She wondered how the boy would be doing once he woke up, he had stuttered about not having any points. It brought Kasha's spirits down, but she was sure that someone with his tenacity, (willing to jump headfirst into danger for the sake of another without a second thought to his wellbeing, as well as clinging to consciousness while in immense pain), would find a way to be a pro hero.

"W-wait up!" Ochako sputtered, fluttering her hands a little before rushing after the taller girl. The brown haired girl pouted up at Kasha. "Don't leave without me, so mean."

Kasha didn't dignify that with a response. After the brutal murder of her parents, her dulled visage and conversational responses had made many accuse her of being cold, rude, and mean. If someone thought she was mean for minding her own business and avoiding drawn out situations, it was just another thing to add to the list of assumptions that soured her persona to others.

It didn't hurt her, because she knew that having no close connections could only help her in the long run. If she didn't care about anyone, (at least no one anyone knew about, that being Kaji and her aunt), and if no one cared about her, she could pursue her ambition with ruthless purpose.

Kasha walked calmly towards the exit of the exam arena, Ochako by her side, chatting animatedly about how intense the exam had been, periodically wondering how the green haired boy was before going back to the subject of the test. The two apparently opposite girls began making their way through a crowd of stragglers, teens that had watched the green haired boy save Ochako, and Kasha save him in turn.

"Man, I can tell you're gonna be a pro in no time." A familiar voice spoke up.

Silver eyes met gold.

Kaminari grinned, moving closer and slinging a friendly arm around Kasha's shoulders, pulling her into his side without her consent.

"You saved two people today. My skin and that kid's. Could you be any more of a badass?"

"Kaminari-san." Kasha greeted blandly.

Said blonde cringed exaggeratedly at her response.

"I told you to call me Denki-kun." He whined, trying to convince her by waggling his brows.

"Improbable." Kasha deadpanned.

Kaminari's mouth fell open. Kasha had to try harder than usual to keep her expression blank. She would admit inwardly that she found him funny.

"Friend of yours?" Ochako fished, smiling a little.

"No."

"Yes."

Kasha looked at Kaminari flatly when he responded at the same time as her with that contradictory statement.

"I don't know you." The scarred teen said.

"Lies, we met today." Kaminari said, still with his arm around her shoulders.

"Which means we're still strangers." Kasha returned, giving him a dead eyed stare.

"Not even, we're halfway to bestie territory. You did save me after all." Kaminari chuckled.

Kasha withheld a sigh, simply ducking from under his arm and bowing at him as well as Ochako.

"I hope you both did well in the exam." She said abruptly. "Goodbye."

"W-wait!" Ochako blurted, waving her hands around again. "You're leaving!? B-but-!"

"Aww don't ditch me again, I swear I'm awesome!" Kaminari yelped.

"I need to go. Goodbye you two." Kasha muttered, simply turning and walking away.

"No! At least give me your digits!" Kaminari wailed, his voice filled with humorous despair.

"Me too! I want your digits too!" Ochako yelled. "And your name! I never got it…!"

Kasha shook her head slightly, making her way through the teens staring at her in bewilderment and equal amounts of respect. She headed towards the locker room that U.A had allowed exam takers to use for the duration of the Hero Exam.

Once she was alone, she felt her mood become somber, as it often was when she wasn't quietly enraged about the thought of the man that had taken everything, or sorrowful for her losses.

Under the veil of numbness, Kasha wondered if she'd ever see Kaminari or Uraraka again.

If she was honest, she really wouldn't mind.

* * *

Kasha lived alone in a modest apartment in Musutafu Japan, maintained by her own efforts, and payed for by her part time job at a Maid Café. Her job payed very well, considering the uniform and extra effort she put into her customer service as a waitress/maid, and her rent was low due to the type of apartment and neighborhood she lived in, so she had no real financial worries.

When not at work or school, she was a member of a Taekwondo dojo, the same one that she had been in since the age of four.

Musutafu was her birthplace, as well as Kaji's, and they had lived in a nice house with their parents before everything went downhill after Kasha had first encountered _that_ _man._

After the funeral of her parents, Kasha had agreed to sell the house, putting the money into a bank account that Kaji could benefit from when she was older. Kasha found the apartment she currently inhabited, moved out of her aunt's house (as she'd been living there with Kaji since their parents had died), and left her little sister behind.

Kasha had asked her aunt to care for Kaji in her place, promising that she would return once she deemed herself strong enough.

Of course, Kasha didn't mention her ambition.

Her reason for pursuing a hero license. Truthfully, Kasha wanted the clearance to use her quirk in public. She wanted the formal connections heroes had to police, so she could investigate on her own.

She would find the man that had escaped her that day, his hands bathed in the blood of her parents.

Kasha would see justice served. Whether she had to burn her way to it or not.

Closing and locking her front door behind her, Kasha removed her knee high boots, leaving them at the door and slipping on her fuzzy gray house slippers. She padded across the polished hardwood flooring, tucking her hair behind her ears.

It was still free from its usual style after her hair bands had been incinerated during the exam. The teen then made her way to her bathroom, removing her all black schoolgirl uniform and red bow tie. She unzipped her leotard, peeling the skin tight material from her body and throwing it into the hamper with her uniform.

She faced her mirror, silver eyes roving over the familiar sight of her scars. She had seven, slighty raised light pink slash marks on underside of her left arm. Nine more littered her right arm. Another slash-like scar arched over her right breast, and there was one under her belly button, shifted to the left side of her toned abdomen.

She had four, longer, more narrow and shallow slashes across the length of her back. They were a lighter pink because they hadn't been as severe as her other cuts. They crisscrossed and overlapped, those having been inflicted by _that man_ instead of by her hand. But perhaps, her most gruesome scar, was the sickly pink slash across her throat, it had tick marks running across it, from where her stitches had been. It had also been given to her by _that man_.

He had slit her throat in a fit of rage when Kasha had managed to get Kaji away from him. Only to sob and beg for her forgiveness as she bled out face down just as her mother had. Kaji had ran as Kasha had instructed, and after everything went dark, Kasha woke a week later covered in bandages in the hospital with two dead parents, a traumatized five year old sister, and informed that _that man_ had somehow escaped police custody.

The silver eyed teen had been understandably distraught by the news of his escape. And when they failed to find him, she knew what she had to do.

She would find and punish the bastard herself.

Kasha tore her eyes away from her scars. At first she had hated them for their hideousness, but then she despised them because of the agony they caused Kaji. Every time Kaji had seen them, she'd gone into a nearly catatonic state, flashing back to having to watch Kasha rend herself.

That was why Kasha covered her scars. The reason for her mask… well…

 _"Nee-chan, your face is always sad now. Don't look sad."_

 _Kasha couldn't help it. Their parents were dead, and the one responsible roamed free, doing who knows what to others._

 _"Nee-chan, please pat my head and say 'It's okay'." Kaji begged._

 _Kasha didn't look at the child she had nestled in her arms. She simply sat in her hospital bed, covered in bandages, staring off into space and failing miserably to comfort her younger sister._

 _It wasn't okay._

 _Nothing was ever going to be okay again._

 _"Nee-chan…" Kaji whimpered, tears welling in her eyes._

 _Pain stabbed at Kasha's battered heart._

 _"I'm sorry Kaji."_

 _She was._

 _She was so fucking sorry._

After that, Kasha began covering her pitiful expression with masks, because she was too weak to smile for the sake of her sister. When Kasha discovered Kaji couldn't handle the sight of her fresh scars, she covered those too.

With a sigh, Kasha switched on her shower, waiting until the water was steaming before getting in.

She needed to be freshened up.

She had work that night.

* * *

A week later, Kasha sighed tiredly, shuffling into her lonely apartment, her work uniform folded neatly in her left arm while she used her right hand to lock up after herself.

She stepped away from the door, turning, pausing when her boot crunched against something.

"Hm?" The scarred teen hummed, leaning down after lifting her foot.

A white, slightly thick envelope innocently lied on the tiled floor of her home's entryway.

Silver eyes immediately recognized the waxed emblem of the famous U.A holding the envelope closed.

"It's here." Kasha breathed, swiping the envelope up with her free hand.

She took a moment to remove her boots and put on her house slippers, making her way further inside.

After depositing her work uniform and school uniform into her dirty clothes hamper, wearing only a black masked leotard, Kasha made her way past her small living room and kitchenette, into her bedroom.

Her bedroom had plain white walls, but they were covered in childishly endearing artwork. All gifts sent to her by her aunt, and drawn by Kaji. Her dresser had a couple of picture frames on it, one with her parents hugging both her and Kaji during a family trip, and another of her with Kaji sitting in her lap, grinning happily at the camera while Kasha smiled sweetly in a more reserved manner.

Kaji looked similar to Kasha, but the younger's hair was blonde and shifted to white towards the ends. She had the same shade of silver eyes as Kasha, the same apparent white lashes, but her ears were much pointier. She also had a more bubbly visage, though it was more bright in the photo.

That day had been when Kaji discovered her quirk. It was one of Kasha's most treasured memories of better days.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, not wanting to go off on a depressing tangent, Kasha seated herself atop her galaxy patterned comforter. The teen felt a bit of nervousness roll over within her belly, shown in the way her hands trembled ever so slightly as she fiddled with the envelope's wax seal.

Once she'd picked it off, Kasha pulled out a silvery white disk, her fair brows furrowing in confusion, wondering if she should go fish out the DVD player she had somewhere in her closet.

Though it would seem that was unnecessary, because the face of the disk shimmered, before a man's muscled torso appeared from the top of the thin item.

Flinching, Kasha tossed the disk across the room. It landed silently on her black carpet.

"This is a projection!"

Kasha gawked as _the_ All Might stood in front of her bedroom door. But she caught herself after noticing that he was transparent, proving him to be a projection just as he'd said. Even so, he pointed directly at Kasha, his chiseled face set into a wide grin. He laughed heartily before giving Kasha a thumbs up.

"Congratulations Kasha Yūrei!" All Might boomed. "You've passed the first hurdle to becoming a pro hero, you've made it into U.A! I, as well as those who were watching your performance were wowed by your burning heroic spirit. Not only did you destroy a noteworthy amount of villain robots without breaking a sweat, you did not fail to remember the reason heroes exist. And that young Yūrei, is helping others!"

Kasha blinked rapidly, astounded by the man's loud and vibrant voice. He truly was sunshine in human form.

 _'Befitting of the Symbol of Peace I guess.'_ She thought, her attention soon focusing again on what the recording was relaying to her.

"You racked up a good amount of villain points, but I am proud to inform you that you have even better points under your belt!" All Might said.

Kasha found her brows furrowing once again in bafflement.

"None knew this young Yūrei, but there were other points to be gained from the exam." All Might grinned. "Because being a hero isn't just about taking down bad guys, it is also about saving those who need to be saved. And so…"

Kasha's eyes widened as she realized what the large man was getting at.

"Kasha Yūrei, for the rescue of Kaminari Denki, five rescue points!" The number one hero declared. "For the rescue of Midoriya Izuku, fourty five rescue points! Once again, congratulations young lady, you are already well on your way to being a pro."

All Might's teeth sparkled as he somehow grinned even wider.

"Kasha Yūrei, this is your Hero Academia!"

The Symbol of Peace threw back his head and let out a delighted laugh.

"Okay, that's a wrap." A tired voice spoke up, somewhere from the line of sight of the camera. "You've got twenty more of these to go."

Kasha rose a questioning brow when All Might visibly drooped.

"Honestly Erasure, couldn't you be a little more enthusiastic?" The muscle on legs complained.

"You've got enough of that to make the world go 'round." Was the bland retort.

Shortly after the recording fizzled with static and cut off.

Kasha sat on her bed for a long time, not sure exactly what she was feeling. After several long beats, pride filled her chest.

"I did it." She whispered, looking down at her hands.

They were shaking again. But it wasn't fear. It wasn't nervousness.

It was excitement.

Kasha was closer now. One step closer to her goal, one step closer to being strong enough to reunite with Kaji and their aunt. One step closer to claiming justice for her wronged parents.

The white haired teen allowed herself a small smile. It was time. It was time for—

"My Hero Academia."

* * *

 **Trivia:**

 **-168 cm is 5ft6 inches.**

 **-Kasha's build is slim and fit.**

 **-She has 21 scars in total.**


	4. When It Was Now

**There's a lot of info at the bottom, just trivia about certain things I couldn't fit into the chapter or the previous ones. I'm really happy you guys seem to like Kasha. I didn't want her to be super OP or mary sue-ish. I wanted her to actually seem like a character with some depth but with obvious room to grow. Hopefully I can keep to this goal.**

 **I don't own MHA.**

* * *

 _Kasha was freshly showered after her Taekwondo practice._

 _She'd done all of her required warm ups, drills, and participated in a few spars with her fellow blue belts. She was tired after going to school and then practice, as she often was, and only had about fifteen minutes to pick her younger sister up from daycare so they could both get home. Their parents would be waiting._

 _Kasha had been too lazy to put her hair back up into her signature odango pigtails, so she simply pulled it into a low ponytail, and dressed once again in her middle school's all black sailor uniform. She had a red bow tie, thigh high black tights, and shin high black boots with gray soles and metal plates on the toes to finish the look. Her backpack was a pastel blue stuffed cat, picked out by her younger sister Kaji._

 _The younger loved seeing Kasha in cute things, and always tried to get her to wear more girly items. Said young teen snorted a little at the thought._

 _'Silly Kaji.'_

 _The thirteen year old had a brown paper bag in her right hand as she made her way towards the daycare to pick up said "silly" five year old, and it held her sweat soiled Taekwondo gi within it. It was time for a wash._

 _Kasha's nose wrinkled at the thought of her uniform's stench, but a warm ray from the sun pulled her away from her gi's smell, and silver eyes glanced up._

 _The sky above was an array of warm colors, turning more to the orange and pink side as evening slowly rolled in. It was a little past half after five pm, and Kaji's daycare closed at six. If Kasha made it in time, as she always did, they'd be home by six thirty on the dot._

 _The blocks were long and mostly vacant, occupied by a quieter neighborhood with reserved families living within two story homes. Kaji's daycare was on the next corner, surrounded by a gate and centered in what used to be an empty lot._

 _Kasha stopped mid stride when she heard a grunt of pain near her left. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed across the street further behind her that two thuggish looking guys were harassing another._

 _All three of them were obviously way older than Kasha herself, a mere first year middle school student. The one being harrsssed was on the thinner side, he was built like wire and tall as well. His hair was a pale white-blonde, shaved close to the sides of his head, but the top was shaggy, slicked back neatly. He had large eyes, with no sclera, or pupils, just two twin black pools likened to an abyss. He wore all black, a hoodie, jeans, and thick boots._

 _The guys messing with him were just as tall, but more solid, and obviously more physically strong._

 _One held the white-blonde to the wall surrounding a house, while the other loomed over him with a pocket knife of all things._

 _Unease rolled heavily around in Kasha's stomach._

 _"I heard you like this, you freak." The one with the blade sneered. "You asked Rize to cut you after begging her to go out with you. What kinda sicko are you, huh, you little shit!? How do you think I felt when my little cousin came crying to my house hysterical because your crazy ass asked her to cut you on the first date!"_

 _The white-blonde cowered even more, and now that Kasha was really looking, she could see silvery scars scattered all over his face. When he shifted she could see them in the evening light._

 _'Oh my gosh, did he do that to himself…?' She wondered in horror, silver eyes wide as she stared, frozen._

 _"Answer him when he's talking to you!" The one pinning the blonde growled, shoving his captive harder into the wall, drawing a gasp and wince from said victim._

 _"I-I j-just—" The skinny guy stuttered, cutting himself off._

 _His tormentors only seemed to grow angrier. Kasha? Well, she'd seen quite enough. No, she didn't know the full story, but that didn't make what these guys were doing right._

 _"Hey!" Kasha called, moving closer, clenching the handles of her paper bag tighter when the snarling faces of the two bullies turned to greet her._

 _"Who the fuc—"_

 _"A kid!?" Yelped the knife wielding one. "The hell do you want?"_

 _"I want you to stop treating that guy like that." Kasha stated bluntly, gaining confidence when the older boys made no moves towards her. "I don't know what's going on, but this isn't cool you guys."_

 _"Hah?" Huffed the one pinning the skinny guy, his face twisting in exaggerated annoyance. "What right do you have to say that?"_

 _"Any basic human being would have the decency to say that." Kasha retorted blandly._

 _"Wait wait, pause." The knife wielding man interrupted. He stepped away from the cowering blonde he'd been harassing, his eyes zeroing in on Kasha's small form._

 _She stood tall before him, unwilling to fold after stating her beliefs. He seemed to notice this, and Kasha was relieved that he was at least more smart than his muscle headed friend._

 _"Oh, I get it." He said, nodding to himself. "You think you're helping, don't you, little girl? But let me tell you a little secret."_

 _Kasha pursed her lips at the man's slightly mocking tone._

 _"This guy, is a freak." He stated, gesturing with his knife at the still trapped blonde. "He cuts and talks to himself all the time, and my cousin, who felt bad for his dumbass went out with him when he asked her. He didn't even have enough sense to wait until they'd known each other for a while before springing his bullshit onto her. He just jumped right into begging her to cut him up! My cousin was literally traumatized by this bastard, so I thought, hey, why don't I show him what it really means to be cut? Bet he'd think twice about shoving his sick fantasies onto people then."_

 _Kasha was absolutely floored by the situation she'd shoved her nose into. She couldn't follow the older guy's logic at all. Well, she could, but it was just so twisted… So, instead of saying she couldn't follow it she would say she absolutely didn't agree with it. Of course it was strange, (read: actually, downright nauseating) that the guy liked to be cut but… bullying him wasn't the way to go about telling him so._

 _"Um," Kasha started, her voice a little uncertain. Despite how strongly she had started off, she was admittedly unnerved by the intensity of the three strangers' eyes. They all waited to see how she would react._

 _Kasha swallowed._

 _"Well, it sounds like he really needs help." The teen began anew, her eyes darting to the blonde with ink pits for eyes, darting away again to the man holding the pocket knife. "I agree that it doesn't sound like he's into normal things… but shouldn't you guys have tried to help him in some way instead of bullying him? I'm sorry your cousin was so scared, but I really don't think this is the way to make things better. I think you might actually make them worse like this."_

 _"Oh, I get it, so you think we can fix this fuckwad by listening to his feelings?" The one that had already proven to be more violent sneered. "Hate to break it to you brat, but guys like this don't get better by "talking it out" and shitty therapy. Piss stains like this need to be beaten into submission or locked up in a deep dark place. I'm willing to bet this little pussy attitude he walks around with is just a farce. He's into some really messed up shit, no way there's anything redeemable about him."_

 _Kasha bristled at the tactless and pessimistic words he was spewing, feeling a scowl forming on her face when she noticed the blonde's posture sag further and further as if the words were a physical object upon his shoulders._

 _Once again, she'd seen enough._

 _She'd heard enough. The teen would later learn and regret that she hadn't actually seen or understood anything._

 _But the Kasha in that moment made her decision, and she would never know until it was too late how terribly she had sealed her fate._

 _"And who are you to make that call?" Kasha found herself arguing. "You know what? I don't care, I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense. I've already called the cops, so if you guys want to explain to them why you're beating up some innocent guy and waving around a knife, be my guest."_

 _She glared at both of the bullies, daring them to call her bluff, (which it most certainly was. She'd been lying through her teeth)._

 _Kasha's attention was drawn back to the guy holding the pocket knife, because he'd sighed in frustration, shoving an irritated hand through his hair._

 _"You're a shitty, and nosy little girl, you know that?" He huffed. "Fine. We're bouncing out, but don't say I didn't warn you. When you're alone with this freak, he'll probably show his true colors."_

 _Kasha still didn't budge, even under those ominous words._

 _The brute that had been pinning the blonde began complaining and spewing curses, roughly shoving his captive onto his butt childishly and storming off the way Kasha had come._

 _The one with the knife slid said blade into his pocket, giving Kasha one last glance. Strangely enough, it wasn't annoyed, sarcastic, or filled with righteous fury. He seemed thoughtful, and it utterly surprised Kasha, so much so that her scowl slid off her face._

 _"Better pray you haven't just made the biggest mistake of your life kid." The guy muttered. "You were warned."_

 _With those parting words, he calmly strode off._

 _Kasha gave an involuntary shiver, watching him leave after his hot tempered friend._

 _After a moment, Kasha tore her eyes away from their retreating backs, looking to the blonde guy with the two black pits for eyes. A short, startled squeak escaped her throat when she noticed he was much closer to her than before._

 _Close enough to touch, looming over her and staring with those bottomless, nightmarish eyes._

 _Despite the situation she had previously been in with the bullies, it was only at that moment she felt her heart rate increase with fear. Before she had been too focused on doing the right thing._

 _But now… Kasha was afraid._

 _She swallowed thickly, her already fair skin draining to a deathly tone._

 _The tall, scarred young man offered her a smile. It was odd on his gaunt face, and it did nothing to soften the intimidating nature of his eyes._

 _"Thanks." He breathed in a raspy voice, as if he wasn't used to talking much, still standing too close._

 _He made her even more uncomfortable when he leaned down, his nose nearly brushing her own. His eyes seemed to suck up the evening light around them, but they reflected none back. They simply absorbed it, and it disappeared. They were so black the white haired girl couldn't even see her own reflection within them, despite their proximity._

 _"You were… very cool." He rasped, almost panting._

 _Kasha stood absolutely still. All of her years of training in Taekwondo went out the window. She couldn't recall a single thing to defend herself. She just stood frozen, literally petrified, because she was too frightened to even tremble._

 _"I… I go to college with those two…" He said, now very much panting, his lips curling at the sides, his eyes remaining the same wide unblinking pits. "They... mess with me… every day… so… it's nice… you stopped them."_

 _Kasha regained more of her bearings when he didn't do anything but speak and invade her personal space. He was very intense, and didn't seem to have any grasp on what was socially acceptable in terms of interaction, but… he wasn't hurting her, despite what the bullies had blatantly implied._

 _"A-ah." Kasha croaked. "W-well… you're welcome?"_

 _"You're… very pretty." He said suddenly, his eyes now crinkling as he bared his teeth in what Kasha was assuming was a grin. It was quite simply, the most unsettling thing the teen had ever seen._

 _Her heart stuttered when he just continued to stare, and she knew she'd had quite enough._

 _"Uh, well… I really have to go now. I'm glad you're okay!" Kasha blurted, control falling back into her possession._

 _Kasha will admit she ran from him as soon as she was able. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Something about him… it was off. Just like the bullies had said, he was twisted in some way, the teen could almost feel it. He was wrong in a horrible way, and Kasha was not eager to find out how._

 _Little did she know it was already too late._

* * *

Silver eyes opened abruptly.

Kasha stared at her ceiling, which was decorated with a mural of the solar system, set onto a dark blue background.

Nearly every time she dreamed it was either about the day she'd met _that man,_ or the day that he killed her parents. When she wasn't dreaming about those memories, she had terrible nightmares about him, or losing Kaji and their aunt forever to said murderous bastard.

Kasha rolled her head to the side, eyes landing on the cat shaped alarm clock sitting on her dresser between the two picture frames decorating it. She had five minutes before she had to get up.

"Might as well get up." The teen murmured sleepily.

The white haired girl dragged herself out of her bed, her hair a wild mess brushing the back of her thighs. She slipped her fuzzy house slippers onto her feet, and shuffled out of her bedroom, to the bathroom for a quick morning showering and to clean her appearance up. Twenty minutes later she was all groomed, hair styled in its signature odango buns, black mask in place and attached to a long sleeved leotard. She was also dressed in her new school uniform.

Kasha didn't wear the uniform's white collared shirt or red tie; but, she did wear the ash gray blazer, pleated skirt, and thigh high black tights. Her feet were adorned by her perpetual shin high black boots with thick gray soles and metal plates on the front, quite literally steel toed boots. The teen grabbed her new school bag, a simple black messenger bag with a plethora of pockets, and made sure to snag up her house keys.

 _'I'll grab something to eat on the way.'_ She thought absently.

The silver eyed teen made her way out of her modest apartment after making sure everything was off and secure, locking up behind herself. As Kasha walked, she observed the world around her, the morning bustle of business people on their way to work, students rushing off to the train station, and just general normality for a monday morning.

After a few minutes of walking, Kasha stopped into a western styled café to buy a couple of pancakes and a small black coffee. She sat in a secluded corner, facing the wall as she pulled her mask around her chin to eat her breakfast. Once finished, she cleaned up after herself and pulled her mask back over her lips and nose, and just in time it would seem.

"Tundra Diva, is that you?" A delighted voice called.

Kasha would admit to being absolutely thrown off guard, to herself that is.

Silver eyes darted to the person standing next to her booth, and they met familiar gold.

Said gold orbs twinkled with surprised happiness.

"This literally has to be fate." Kaminari said, grinning. "I mean, after you ran off after the exam you didn't give me a way to stay in contact with you, but here you are, and wearing U.A's uniform."

"Small world I guess." She offered blandly.

"Heh, yeah. Try again hot stuff, we are _so_ going to be friends." Kaminari snorted, and then he waggled his eyebrows. "Or you can even my girlfriend record to one hundred right now. Whaddyou say?"

Kasha didn't put forth any effort to stop the faint roll of her eyes.

"I doubt you've had one." She retorted dryly. "And no."

Kaminari was completely unaffected by her response. Kasha humorously wondered how much he had to hit on people and get shot down to be completely desensitized to being flat out rejected.

 _'But then again, he hasn't once seemed serious about hitting on me.'_ She thought. _'Maybe that's just how he is? He seems really laid back and kind of goofy.'_

"You are such an icy diva, and it gives me all the right kind of chills babe." The blonde said, chuckling.

Kasha disguised her quiet laugh as a cough and stood up.

"We'll be late, Kaminari-san." She said as a cover, but judging by the look on the other teen's face, he caught her little slip up, and reveled in it.

 _'Honestly, this guy.'_ She thought wryly.

The teen pulled her phone from a pocket in her bag, checking the time, noticing that she still had a while before her first class started.

"I told you to call me Denki-kun." The other teen whined, following her as she made her way towards the door.

Silver eyes noted that he had a take out bag and a silver thermos, so he'd ordered and got his food already, meaning he had spotted her on his way out and decided to approached her.

"I'm not calling you that." Kasha deadpanned.

"When you're cold like that, it only makes me want to mess with you more." The blonde said shamelessly, a smile in his tone.

Kasha shook her head as her lips twitched, and she forced herself not to smile, even though her mask would hide it. After a pause, the café door swung shut behind them, and the blonde boy spoke again as they walked.

"Well, what should I call you anyway?" Kaminari asked, reaching into his takeout bag and pulling out a bagel with cream cheese. "I mean, I'll keep calling you diva and babe if you want, cause they both totally suit you, but a real name's probably going to be cool to know."

 _'What's the harm? We go to the same school now anyway.'_ The girl thought.

"Yūrei Kasha." The willowy girl murmured, silver eyes looking briefly at her companion, who was chewing a piece of bagel he bit off of his breakfast.

"Wow, that's a really cool name." Kaminari said after swallowing. "Can I call you Kasha-chan?"

 _'Wow he's bold.'_ She thought, amused.

"You can call me Kasha, I guess." The teen said quietly instead. That was all she was letting him get away with. 'Chan' just didn't suit her.

The golden eyed boy smirked.

"Kasha-chan sounds really cute though." He said, taking a sip from his thermos.

"It's either what I said, or Yūrei-sama." Kasha answered flatly.

Kaminari spewed green tea from his mouth as he choked on his responding laughter.

Kasha's eyebrows rose high on her bang shielded forehead. The blonde boy's stride faltered at her side and he looked at her, flabbergasted.

"Did you just make a joke?" He gaped.

"Does this look like a face that kids?" Kasha asked blankly.

That seemed to be the last straw, Kaminari burst out laughing, moving again, spurring Kasha to walk as well, because she'd stopped unconsciously to wait for him.

"Kasha, I can already tell you're gonna be full of surprises." He chuckled. "And I know we're gonna be friends."

"Hm." Kasha hummed.

She wasn't adverse to the idea, weirdly enough. But she knew her goals, and what they entailed. She wasn't going to let herself get super attached to anyone other than Kaji and her aunt, but someone to interact with every now and then outside of Taekwondo practice and work wouldn't be so bad… At least, that's what she told herself.

The two teens made their way towards U.A, Japan's most prestigious Hero Academy, a place that All Might himself had been groomed within to later become the number one hero. Kaminari quietly finished his breakfast as they got closer to their destination, and Kasha, equally quiet, simply enjoyed his company.

"Kasha." Kaminari said as they reached the front gate of the academy, and it was just as hulking and high maintenance as she remembered from the hero exam.

 _'This must be what they mean by 'Plus Ultra'.'_ Kasha thought.

The silver eyed girl looked to the blonde boy at her side, tilting her head in silent question.

"All jokes aside, call me Denki." He said, and Kasha noted that for the first time he wasn't smirking, or grinning, or laughing. He was smiling. A small, and cordial turn at the corners of his mouth.

Nearly floored by his sudden sincere disposition, Kasha finally regained her bearings, (not that it showed, she just seemed to be emotionlessly staring as usual).

The white haired teen nodded once.

"Denki." She murmured, trying the name.

And just like that, the blonde's usual antics flared up as he shivered exaggeratedly.

"I'm gonna love hearing you say that all the time."

Kasha turned her head to hide her face as she rolled her eyes to the point of pain.

Denki laughed.

They both moved through the gates, and Kasha blindly reached into her bag again, retrieving a folder and then the only paper it held within it. Once she had it, she slipped the folder away again.

Kasha's eyes dropped to the schedule in her hands.

 _Class 1-A, Homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta._

As Kasha's eyes scanned over the classes she would have for the foreseeable future, she noticed around her and Denki that foot traffic began to pick up as more students made their way into the school gates.

The blonde boy peeked at her schedule. Kasha glanced at him, noting that he looked similar to the cat with the canary. Once again her hidden brows rose upon her head.

"I'm in 1-A too." He said, smirking. "You want to tell me this isn't fate?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything." Kasha responded, tone desert dry.

"I'd say you're no fun, but you really just are." Denki snickered.

Kasha shook her head, hurrying along a little, not wanting to get caught in a flood of teens. The blonde at her side easily kept up with her stride, as they were the same height.

"Are you nervous?" Denki asked suddenly as they moved through the clean hallways.

Kasha hummed in the negative, looking at him silently to ask if he was.

Even though she was in a mostly unfamiliar place, she didn't feel any type of anxiety. She just went with the flow, as she did most of the time when not feeling the burning drive to achieve her number one goal.

"I'm a little nervous, yeah." The blonde boy said, and then a cheshire grin stretched across his face. "The second I walk through the doors of our homeroom, the chicks will be tearing my clothes off trying to get a piece of me. Not sure how I'm going to handle that yet."

Kasha made a strange, quiet sound, (because she'd forced herself not to let a bark of laughter out of her face at that particular bit of nonsense).

"The chances of that are literally below infinitesimal."

"Wow dude. Hurtful much?" Denki answered, quite obviously amused.

If Kasha continued rolling her eyes, they'd soon fall out of her face. But, she liked Denki. He was fun. If she had to choose a friend, it would probably be him, so she had no complaints.

Finally the duo made it to a hulking door with a metal plate reading 1-A beside it.

They both stopped outside of it, turning to look at one another, solemn silver meeting genial gold.

"You ready for this?" Denki asked.

Kasha was so freaking ready.

Instead of answering, she opened the door, stepping through first, her new friend following.

The classroom was spacious with many individual desks, a bigger desk upfront for the instructor, and a whiteboard behind it. The far wall was covered in windows overlooking the courtyard and school entrance.

There were already students sitting in most of the desks, some people were conversing with one another, getting to know their new classmates. They looked up at the duo's entrance, a few people smiling in a friendly manner while others looked over curiously.

Kasha grabbed a seat in the very back by the window, classic anime heroine seat choice, because yes, she was cliche like that, but only very _very_ deep down. Denki sat next to her, but on the desk instead.

"Why the corner though? You're not gonna make any friends like that you know, you look all doomy and gloomy." Denki told her.

"We're not here to make friends Denki." Kasha said.

And they weren't. Whatever happened happened, if people avoided her as most people her age did because of her cold-ish exterior, it'd be no skin off her back.

"I know that, but it couldn't hurt, right?" The blonde offered, shrugging a little.

"Hm." Kasha said, not really confirming or denying his inquiry.

The blonde teen sighed, shaking his head and wagging his finger at her a little.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Denki asked.

"That's my line." She quipped quietly.

The blonde just tauntingly waggled his eyebrows at her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you please not sit on the desk like that? It's very rude to the people who've made it and the upperclassmen who sat there before us."

Both Kasha and Denki turned to look at the tall teen with square framed spectacles and a crisp uniform. He'd made his way over as they conversed, and Kasha had been aware of him doing so from the start. His dark blue eyes were sharp, and his hair was black with a bluish tint.

"Eh?" Denki uttered, quite intelligently if Kasha did say so herself.

"The desk." The boy repeated. "Could you please not sit on it like that?"

"Uh, yeah sure. Whatever man." Denki agreed, obviously a little unnerved by the taller boy's diligent and stern visage.

The blonde slid off of the desk, instead taking a seat so that he was eye level with Kasha. Said white haired girl had nothing to say since the taller, glasses wearing boy hadn't been speaking to her.

Sure, she found it a little strange he was so bothered by someone sitting on a desk, maybe even was slightly annoyed by the teacher's pet-like behavior the boy was already displaying, but it wasn't any of her business, so she'd keep her trap shut.

The tall boy nodded once in approval at Denki's correction.

"Thank you. I apologise if I was too forward, I just believe we should all present ourselves in a certain manner as future heroes, and heroes respect their predecessors." The boy explained. "We can start showing our respect by treating the things passed on to us with care."

"Uh… yeah, okay." Denki said.

Kasha was already peering out the window, knowing she could be seen as incredibly rude for doing so, but neither of the boys were talking to her, so she didn't really care.

"I am Iida Tenya by the way. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

"I'm Denki." The blonde offered, seeming to have regained his bearings. "Kaminari Denki."

"A pleasure, once again Kaminari-san." Iida responded. "And you?"

Kasha's silver eyes slid away from the courtyard, meeting dark blue.

"Yūrei Kasha." She murmured emotionlessly.

Iida's eyes lit with recognition.

"I knew I recognized you!" He suddenly exclaimed. "You're the one who secured second place in U.A's Hero Exam! The young lady who helped save the boy who broke his limbs. The same boy who helped the trapped girl from the zero pointer."

 _'Ah.'_ Kasha blinked slowly at this. _'I forgot, I did do pretty well in the exam.'_

"Yūrei-san, your reaction time was absolutely amazing!" Iida went on, seeming to be a different and much more friendly person all of a sudden. "I'm ashamed of myself because I didn't act, but you… you are truly worthy of your ranking in the exams, I will strive to follow your example."

Sleepy silver eyes blinked again. She was flattered by Iida's sincere praise and admiration, but she also wasn't sure if he should be quite so enthusiastic about the situation. But, to each their own, as they say.

 _'As long as "their own" doesn't hurt anyone else.'_ Kasha thought darkly.

"Hm." She hummed quietly, ignoring the grim turn of her thoughts. "Well, thank you Iida-san. I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

"Look at you getting fans already." Denki jeered smugly. "Careful there Kasha, you're going to ruin your ice diva rep."

"You're the only one who thinks of me like that." She muttered, not even looking at him.

Iida tilted his head to the side in question.

"Are you two close?" He wondered.

"We just met." Kasha admitted. "Denki simply has no concept of social and behavioral norms."

"HEY!"

Kasha smirked under her mask.

Iida didn't seem to know how to react to their bantering.

"Well, you two seem to get along well even so. I hope that we can as well." The tall boy offered.

Kasha shrugged.

"I don't see why we couldn't." Denki replied honestly, smiling a little.

Before Iida could say anything else, the classroom door opened and a boy a little taller than Kasha and Denki, but shorter than Iida entered. Kasha immediately took note of the furrow between his brows, the slightly irritated look in his ruby eyes, and the hay color of his wild hair. His uniform was slightly baggy and unkempt, and he quite obviously didn't care.

He slouched in, a handheld bag slung over his shoulder, ignoring everyone as he made his way to a desired empty seat. He dropped into it, tossing his bag under his chair and scooting said seat back so he could lazily lift his feet to thunk them onto his desk. He crossed his legs at the ankles, staring, (or _glaring_ ) off into space.

Kasha knew immediately what would happen next. Based on the slight wince Denki gave, he did as well.

Iida's posture got even more rigid, and he almost robotically made his way over to the blonde newcomer.

He adjusted his perfectly positioned spectacles, and cleared his throat, loudly.

Everyone in the class ceased what they were doing, watching with baited breath. They all had sensed the unwelcoming air the red eyed boy gave off.

"The fuck do you want goggles?"

Denki began sputtering.

Kasha's eyes widened ever so slightly, and everyone gaped at the red eyed, ash haired boy.

"E-excuse me?" Iida stuttered, floored.

"I don't repeat myself." The angry blonde growled.

"W-well, even so, that language is atrocious, but I will digress." Iida said, clearing his throat again. "I came over to ask you to remove your feet from the desk, such behavior is unsightly of an aspiring hero."

The newcomer not only didn't remove his feet from the desk, but he seemed to only get _angrier._

"Oh dang..." Some one muttered on the sidelines.

"Should we say something...?" Wondered another.

Kasha was already over it, and decided to stare out the window again. She hoped class wasn't always going to be as trying as it was threatening to be.

"What did you say to me four eyes?" The blonde boy gritted.

"Just take your feet off the desk!" Iida responded, face pinched.

"Man, I can tell classes at U.A are always going to be an adventure." Denki muttered.

Kasha just sighed.

* * *

 **Hero Exam Results:**

 **Bakugo Katsuki, 77 villain points, 0 rescue**

 **Yūrei Kasha, 26 villain points, 50 rescue**

 **Kirishima Eijiro, 39 villain, 35 rescue**

 **Uraraka Ochako, 73 villain, 0 rescue**

 **Shiozaki Ibara, 36 villain, 32 rescue**

 **Kendo Itsuka, 25 villain, 40 rescue**

 **Ida Tenya, 52 villain, 9 rescue**

 **Midoriya Izuku, 0 villain, 60 rescue**

 **Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, 49 villain, 10 rescue**

 **Tokoyami Fumikage, 47 villain, 10 rescue**

 **Trivia:**

 **-For Taekwondo belts from beginner to higher level, there is white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black.**

 **-Kasha's rank at the time of meeting _that man_ was blue. For this belt one must demonstrate the breaking of a two-inch board with a punch and a one-inch board with a turning kick, as well as learn two step sparring. The higher form of a blue belt has red stripes, and one must defend against holds, clubs, knives, as well as multiple unarmed opponents. One must also have the skill to break two-inch boards with a punch and a turning kick.**

 **-Kasha is currently a higher red belt. She achieved a red belt with black stripes (the higher form of the red belt) while training for the Hero Exam. The test to achieve this rank was to break two three-inch boards with any kick. With this rank she is adept at multiple free sparring. It took her five months to train and achieve this rank.**

 **\- Ochako still has the same number of points as cannon but Kasha stole her rescue points. I actually hadn't intended for that to happen but… well… *shrugs***

 **-At # 11. in the Hero Exam is Awase Yosetsu, with 50 villain points, and 6 rescue. Sorry Awase :(**


	5. Quirk Assessment

**I don't own MHA, but I do own Kasha.**

 **Oh, and thank you to Abythm for notifying me about the typo in the last chapter, I didn't peep that. You're too awesome.**

* * *

"Hah!? Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? What middle school did you go to glasses?"

Kasha resolutely stared out of the window facing U.A's courtyard, refusing to watch the drama unfolding in front of her like all of her other new classmates were. Even so, she could perfectly imagine Iida fixing his glasses and offering the foul tempered blonde his hand as a peace offering.

"I apologize to have offended you, we got off on the wrong foot." Iida said. "I am Iida Tenya, I attended Soumei Private Academy, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh, so you're a damn elite huh? No wonder you've got such a huge stick up your ass, it'll make it all the more satisfying when I bury you."

Kasha winced faintly at the blonde's harsh words and tone, completely understanding when Iida began sputtering in response.

"B- _bury?_ " The prim young man stuttered. "That is entirely inappropriate for someone in the hero course. Are you certain you're in the right class?"

"YOU WANNA FIGHT!?" The blonde roared.

"Way to toss the dynamite into the fire Iida." Denki grumbled at her side.

Kasha snorted under her breath in agreement, but didn't turn to look at the gold eyed boy. A bit more drama went on before something new turned the tides in the classroom's atmosphere.

"What the fuck are you doing here, shitty Deku?" The angry blonde spat.

This got Kasha's attention, and she did a double take at the sight of wild, curly green hair and wide emerald eyes.

 _'It's him…'_ She thought, slightly wide eyed.

"H-hi Kacchan." The freckled boy in the doorway squeaked.

Kasha's eyes darkened at the sound of that name.

 _"...You'll look so pretty Ka-chan, all full of holes, even prettier than your mommy."_

The white haired girl stiffened at the memory of _that man's_ despicable crooning voice, the memory of the stench of her parent's blood in the air.

 _"Don't you think?"_ He'd asked, a mad gleam in his soulless eyes. _"Haa, just thinking about it gets me excited. I can't wait until you're dyed all red, and then we can have more fun…"_

"IT'S YOU!"

Kasha immediately snapped out of it, forcing those memories back into the darker corners of her mind.

The silver eyed girl knew that voice, just as she'd known Denki's after meeting him only once.

The green haired boy startled, shuffling further into the room as a small, pretty brown haired girl with brown eyes bounced in. Iida was near them, and he must've gone over to introduce himself while Kasha was being silently tortured by her memories.

"You're the fluffy haired boy that saved my life in the exam!" The girl beamed, bowing to him. "Thank you so much! I'm so glad you made it, Present Mic told me not to worry but it really is a relief to see you here! Oh, by the way, I'm Uraraka Ochako!"

The freckled boy waved his hands about and tried to stutter out a coherent response.

"Hm." Kasha hummed quietly, finding him cute.

She was glad he made it, he'd seemed really bummed when he'd passed out with his head in her lap.

 _'Looks like he had nothing to worry about in the long run.'_ She thought, pleased.

"W-well it's no trouble really, I just did what anyone else would do…" The green haired boy said. "I'm M-Midoriya Iz—"

"Okay, everybody shut up!"

Everyone did indeed 'shut up', eyes darting to the front at the sound of the gravelly and irritated voice. Denki seemed to choke on his own spit in the seat beside her as everyone spotted a man in a yellow sleeping bag of all things laying half obscured by the podium centering the front of the classroom.

 _'How did I not notice him!'_ Kasha inwardly screamed.

"It took you lot way too long to be quiet, everyone get in your seats now." The man ordered, unzipping his sleeping bag and sitting up, rubbing irritably at his bloodshot eyes. "You can continue your high school drama out of my sight, we're not here to make friends. This is the Hero Course, welcome."

Everyone not already seated rushed to be so, only for the tall, black garbed and unkempt man to stand up showing off a dark blue uniform with red and white accents.

"I am Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher." He declared boredly. "Everyone get these on and meet me in the field."

"Ew, I don't want to put on something he had in his mobile home." Denki muttered, shaking his hands out in a grossed out manner.

Kasha snorted quietly.

"Idiot." She murmured.

She saw her friend grin from the corner of her eye, but didn't give him the satisfaction of responding even more. The willowy teen got up, following after her classmates to the front to retrieve a uniform.

"See you out there, hot stuff." Denki said, bumping his shoulder against hers cordially.

Kasha nodded, following after the gaggle of girls heading for the locker room. Denki went in the opposite direction, as expected.

Kasha quickly found a secluded spot and disrobed down to her long sleeved black leotard, pulling the gym clothes on top of it. Her boots looked a little awkward with the sweatpants tucked into them, but she didn't really care.

The white haired girl was one of the first girls to finish changing and made her way to the exit as the others chatted with one another, wondering why they were changing to athletic gear on the first day.

"Hey you!"

Kasha threw a bland glance over her shoulder, stopping in the doorway.

"I know you!" Uraraka exclaimed, bounding over. "You're the cool girl who didn't want to give me her digits after helping me and Midoriya out."

The silver eyed girl inclined her head in affirmation. At this lackluster response, the shorter brown eyed girl pouted impressively, crossing her arms.

"Well, none of that now, okay? We're classmates, so what's your name? I'm Uraraka Ochako!"

"I'm aware." Kasha intoned. "I'm Yūrei Kasha."

Impossibly, Uraraka's eyes got even bigger as she followed the taller girl down the hall towards the courtyard.

"That's a really cool name." She complimented. "It's cool like your quirk. Overall, you seem really awesome, I'm glad we're classmates."

"Hm." Kasha hummed, though she was flattered by the other girl's words.

"Are you shy?" Uraraka asked, blinking curiously up at the white haired girl. "You're kinda quiet. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"No." Kasha shook her head slightly. "I'm not shy."

"Oh, okay." Uraraka said, shrugging before grinning up at her. "Even though Aizawa-sensei said we're not here to be friends, do you wanna be friends?"

 _'I've never met such forward people before.'_ Kasha thought.

It'd been a long time since someone asked her to be friends, because her solemn disposition and masked face made others uncomfortable. Though, Denki and Uraraka didn't seem to care about that at all. They seemed to see something in her they thought was worth trying to be friends with.

 _'Though I'm not sure what that could be.'_ She thought dryly. _'There's nothing interesting about me at first glance.'_

At least, that's what she thought. So, in lieu of response the taller girl shrugged. Uraraka took it in stride and smiled, giving a cute little fist pump.

"I'm taking that as a yes." She declared.

Kasha didn't correct her, she saw no real need to.

* * *

When all the students finally arrived on the field, their seemingly perpetually annoyed and tired teacher relayed the information having to do with the activity they were to participate in.

Kasha was surprised to hear that at the end the student who ended up in last place was doomed to be expelled.

Kasha personally wasn't very worried about ranking high. She had placed second in the Hero Exam after all, but she didn't fail to notice some of her peers panicking. Including the fluffy headed freckled boy she'd helped out during the exam.

Her hidden lips flattened into a thin line.

 _'I hope he makes it.'_ She thought. _'He doesn't seem too confident, and he probably only made it into U.A by the skin of his teeth with rescue points.'_

Kasha was pulled away from her thoughts when Aizawa-sensei informed them their quirk assessment test was afoot.

"Bakugo, what was your score in middle school for the softball toss?" The scruffy teacher asked.

The explosive blonde that had cussed out Iida shrugged uncaringly.

"Sixty seven meters." He deadpanned.

Aizawa tossed the angry boy the softball in his hand, prompting the teen to catch it smoothly.

"Try using your quirk this time." The teacher said. "As long as you don't leave the circle, I don't care what you do."

Kasha could honestly say that the grin the newly revealed 'Bakugo' gave in response was entirely unsettling.

The wickedly grinning boy's face twisted into a fierce snarl as he winded up for a grand throw. And grand it was. Everyone watched as he waited at the last possible moment to activate his quite literally explosive quirk.

"DIE!" He screamed.

Kasha blinked as the ball was propelled with concussive force across the sky, smoking all the way. Many of her peers gawked in awe, and Kasha understood why. It was an incredibly powerful and destructive quirk, and he obviously knew how to use it.

 _'Bakugo Katsuki.'_ Kasha's mind supplied. _'The boy with first place in the U.A entrance exam.'_

Before her parents had been slaughtered, Kasha might have enjoyed competing with him as a rival, but she had more important things on her agenda.

As long as she became a hero with all a hero's resources, she didn't care what label she was stamped with in terms of rank.

"Good, nobody hold back." Aizawa deadpanned. "The school's motto is " _Plus Ultra"_ , remember to live by it, heroes in training."

Aizawa pointed to Kasha and Denki, who stood to her right. Uraraka, who stood to her left, bounced nervously in place as Kasha tilted her head in acknowledgment to her addressal.

"You two, fifty meter dash, right now." He ordered, hitching a thumb in the direction of the white painted lines in the dirt meant for said activity.

Denki looked at her, wiggling his eyebrows in that taunting and ridiculous way of his.

"Ready to eat my dust?" He asked.

Kasha scoffed.

She decided to simply take off her P.E top, there was no hope for the pants, since they were tucked into her boots. Said boots were custom made like her leotards, so they could withstand an insane amount of heat, just not her full capacity, nor half of it, (which was half as hot as the sun's surface). The white haired teen tossed her top onto the ground, far enough away from where she'd activate her quirk that it would be safe.

Kasha and Denki both lined up, getting into starting position.

"Go." Aizawa called blandly.

Denki took off, and Kasha was literally hot on his heels as she called upon her quirk, blinding those around her and overcoming him in a split second, standing as if she'd never been completely on fire at the finish line another second later.

"Whoa!" A few people exclaimed.

"She's wicked fast!" A red haired boy said, grinning sharply.

Aizawa showed them their scores.

Kasha's dash, 3.00 seconds flat, faster than Iida Tenya who later cleared the dash at 3.04 seconds.

She was indeed, wicked fast.

 _'But is it fast enough to take out_ that man _? The one who stole everything?'_ She wondered grimly.

Denki congratulated her.

"I'll humbly accept your dust this time." He said, unknowingly brightening her rapidly descending mood.

The class went through the works, grip strength, which was dominated by a masked boy with dupli-arms, the standing long jump, toe touches, side jumps, upper body workouts, and for closing was the softball throw.

By this point in time Kasha was garbed only in her leotard and boots, her hair falling freely around her after she'd incinerated her hair bands and pants. Despite that little (and common) fail, Kasha did well in most of the tests, since she was an athlete outside of simply using her quirk. She was certain she didn't have much to worry about in terms of being expelled for her scores.

The silver eyed girl watched impressed as Uraraka sent her softball careening into the stratosphere, her score simply reading: Infinity.

 _'That's really cool'._ Kasha thought.

Denki did pretty well, and before Kasha knew it, it was her turn.

She accepted the new ball her sensei tossed her, looking at it flatly. The willowy girl wasn't certain how she should go about this new task, considering that she was more likely to incinerate the ball than send it flying.

 _'Maybe I could try what I did during the hero exam?'_ She wondered, thinking back to the compressed stream of fire she'd released to slow the descent of herself and Midoriya that day. It'd hurt, but it was the last test, so she was sure it would be fine.

 _'I'll just have to try harder this time to control it.'_ Kasha thought.

"Just be careful with that quirk of yours." Aizawa-sensei warned, looking at her with those tired, yet sharp dark eyes. "You don't seem to notice, but every time you light up like you have been, you make those around you uncomfortable with the heat you emit."

Kasha looked at him, tilting her head a little because she truly had not noticed that.

The scruffy teacher just frowned.

"Being a hero isn't just about brute force kid." He lectured. "Control your quirk more, and be conscious of those around you. If you can't do this, I won't hesitate to expel you."

Kasha's sleepy eyes darkened.

Who did he think he was? Of course his words were valid, but how could he ever expect her to learn to control her quirk better if he expelled her from the place that would teach her to do so? Or anyone else for that matter?

Kasha saw at that moment that he was entirely serious.

He didn't care about ranking, if he saw need to do so, he'd point her to the door and inform her she wasn't to return.

Kasha didn't like how carelessly he regarded her future. How carelessly he could make a decision like that on something that could be changed with enough dedication.

 _'It's like_ that man _, who did whatever he pleased, taking someone's future into his hands without regard for the consequences.'_ She thought. _'I despise people like that.'_

Her expression grew impossibly darker, and she didn't notice how Aizawa stiffened ever so slightly as she stared unwaveringly at him. She didn't noticed that he had seen the darkness in her heart as clear as a summer sky.

 _'I wouldn't expect a scruffy, oozing sore of self righteousness to understand why I do what I do, but whether it's UA or a different school, I will achieve my goal.'_ She thought resolutely. _'No one is allowed to get in my way.'_

Though, instead of voicing her biting thoughts, she nodded once, carelessly tossing the ball straight up.

She gathered warmth into both of her arms, and they glowed white hot, trailing with ghostly white flames. Her quirk threatened to blaze incredibly hotter, but she bit her lip and forced her flames to remain present only in her arms, sweat beginning to line her brows.

Kasha drew her right fist back and sent a swift punch towards the ball. The resulting jet of white flames propelled the ball further. She then used her left to do the same, releasing the flames in that arm and sending the ball soaring before it completely collapsed to ash, scattering in the faint wind. She recalled her quirk, knowing that beneath her sleeves that her arms were a stressed and bright pink.

It was worth it.

"705.1 meters." Aizawa said, showing her the score.

Second to Bakugo's 705.2 meters.

 _'That's acceptable.'_ Kasha thought, carelessly turning her back to the scruffy man, and walking back to stand between Denki and Uraraka.

"Last but not least is you kid." The teacher said, pointing to Midoriya.

Kasha was distracted from her darker mood at the sight of the boy nervously making his way to the circle painted on the ground. Aizawa tossed Midoriya a new ball.

"Go wild." He said dryly.

Kasha watched as the freckled boy seemed to psych himself up, before he reared his arm back, a red crackle bursting out over his skin and he released the ball from his grasp, tripping a little as he did so.

Kasha blinked rapidly when the ball flew a short distance and bounced across the ground, their sensei declaring it had only gone forty six meters.

 _'What the…'_ Kasha thought, fair brows furrowing.

"W-what?" Midoriya stuttered, just as confused as everyone else.

"I erased your quirk." Their sensei deadpanned.

Kasha's eyebrows nearly flew off her head as she looked back at the glaring man. His hair was standing on end, and his eyes glowed ruby red. The strange scarf he wore flowed around him threateningly, writhing like eels around his form, ready for an attack.

"Erased?" Midoriya echoed, voicing Kasha's inward thoughts.

"What were they thinking, letting a kid like you into the academy?" Aizawa grumbled, seemingly ignoring him. "You were going to blow up your arm, weren't you? I remember seeing that power in the entrance exam."

Kasha grimaced faintly, because she remembered that grand yet self destructive power as well. But it would seem Aizawa didn't have much hope for Midoriya like she did.

"You can't efficiently use it at all. What are you going to do when you cripple yourself? Or injure someone because you have no idea what you're doing? Is someone going to have to save you every time you use that power?"

Okay, so that was just needlessly harsh. Again, how did he expect them to get better if he beat them down and gave them the boot before they could?

Kasha didn't like this.

She didn't like it at all.

"You're… you're Eraserhead." Midoriya muttered. "The underground hero."

"Correct." Aizawa confirmed, still glaring. "And I used my power to stop that nasty drawback you've got going on. But someone isn't always going to be around to do that. If you can't use your quirk, then you may as well be quirkless. And someone like that cannot be a hero."

Kasha grit her teeth behind the cover of her mask.

That was going too far.

"Midoriya." Kasha intoned, not caring that all eyes went to her. She'd never been one to sit by and watch in situations such as this. You'd think she'd have learned something after her parents had been ripped from her life.

The nervous, nearly publically humiliated boy turned to look at her. Grim faced, Kasha nodded firmly once.

"Only you know what you're capable of." She told him. "Do not let someone else stop you from something you've set out to do."

She wasn't one for motivational speeches or flowery words of comfort, but she could at least give the boy this. Give him what he so obviously needed.

"You don't have to prove to anyone why you're here." She said. "Only yourself."

Aizawa-sensei narrowed his eyes at her, but she frankly didn't care. She truly believed her own words, and she felt as if they weren't wrong.

Kasha was pleased when she noticed a hint of steel flare in the boy's green eyes. He nodded once in return, acknowledging her words.

"Very well." Aizawa muttered, his hair falling back around his head and his eyes fading to their darker hue. "Try it again then kid. Don't make this other kid into a fool for believing in you."

Midoriya squeezed his eyes shut tightly to reel in his panic, but Kasha still saw his resolve. She saw it in the set of his shoulders as he caught the new ball their Sensei tossed to him.

"Okay." Midoriya muttered.

 _'He's just gonna have to do whatever he can for now.'_ Kasha thought, biting her lip a little. _'He can. He seems the type to come through when it matters.'_

Everyone watched as Midoriya brought his arm back and went through the motions of a throw. Just like Bakugo, it was only at the very last possible second that he let his quirk loose. Kasha saw how his finger immediately purpled from the monstrous force he'd summoned. Aizawa's eyes widened in surprise as Midoriya's hand exploded, a jet of air blowing away from the appendage.

Kasha smirked, watching the softball get propelled away.

 _'Good job.'_ She thought approvingly.

Aizawa waited several long beats for the ball to hit the ground before he checked the distance.

"705.3 meters." He said, his eyebrows raised as he looked back at the boy cradling his injured hand.

"You see Sensei." Midoriya panted, his face strained as he withstood the pain he was in. "I can still stand."

Kasha was proud.

She didn't know Midoriya from the man on the moon, but there was no way she couldn't be proud of his accomplishment.

And she knew she was right to think so when she spotted the exhilarated expression on their Sensei's face. His usually tired eyes were alight, his teeth bared into a grin.

His face seemed to say, _'This kid…!'_

And yes.

Midoriya really was something.

Kasha cocked her head to the side, wondering if she would get to see him become something great.

* * *

After all the excitement died down, everyone was shown their ranking. Bakugo had to be restrained for a while by their sensei for trying to explode Midoriya for some reason that only the two of them were aware of. Kasha wondered if he had a valid reason for his horrible attitude, but quickly decided that it really wasn't any of her business.

 **1rst, Momo Yaoyorozu**

 **2nd, Shoto Todoroki**

 **3rd, Katsuki Bakugo**

 **4th, Kasha Yūrei**

 **5th, Tenya Iida**

 **6th, Fumikage Tokoyami**

 **7th, Mezo Shoji**

 **8th, Mashirao Oijiro**

 **9th, Eijiro Kirishima**

 **10th, Mina Ashido**

 **11th, Ochako Uraraka**

 **12th, Koji Koda**

 **13th, Rikido Sato**

 **14th, Tsuyu Asui**

 **15th, Yuga Aoyama**

 **16th, Hanta Sero**

 **17th, Denki Kaminari**

 **18th, Kyoka Jiro**

 **19th, Izuku Midoriya**

 **20th, Minoru Mineta**

 _'Huh, I did better than I thought I would.'_ Kasha thought, pleased with how she did.

"Oh, by the way." Aizawa-sensei drawled uncaringly. "I lied about the expulsion, welcome to the hero course everyone."

 _'I wonder if I could get away with carbonizing this chump and scattering his ashes in the winds.'_ Kasha thought darkly.

Denki sighed explosively at her side, relieved.

"I know I'm not dead last, but that was seriously nerve wracking." He commented.

"You did well." She offered quietly, looking briefly at Uraraka. "You too."

"Thanks!" The shorter girl chirped. "You were awesome, as I'm noticing you always are."

"Thank you." Kasha murmured.

"Yeah yeah. Of course Kasha can say that." Denki complained dramatically. "Miss, 'I ranked in the top ten'."

"Next time I'll endeavor to come in dead last for the sake of your self esteem." She offered flatly.

"Yūrei made a funny." Uraraka giggled.

"Hmph!" Denki huffed good naturedly.

Kasha looked away from them both as her eyes crinkled a little in amusement at the corners.

"But seriously though guys, what about Midoriya?" Uraraka whispered, looking at them both worriedly. "He messed his finger up pretty bad."

"Well, he made it through today, I think that's what matters." Denki offered. "He can only get better from here on out, I hope."

Their peers chattered amongst themselves, relieved that they'd all made it through their first day in the hero course.

"Midoriya, go see Recovery Girl for that finger." Aizawa-sensei ordered.

"H-hai Sensei." He mumbled, scurrying off.

Kasha watched him go, looking back at Uraraka and Denki.

"The rest of you, time to turn in." Aizawa grumbled, rubbing at his eyes.

"Hai Sensei!" Everyone chroused.

And that was that.

* * *

Kasha slung her messenger bag over her shoulder at the end of the day.

She was a little tired, not having expected things to be as intense as they had been, but she would be able to handle such things even if they remained the same or got worse.

"Want me to wait for you outside?" Denki offered good naturedly.

Kasha shrugged.

"I'm taking that as a yes!" He winked, bouncing out of the class, waving to the pink skinned girl named Mina that Kasha had noticed him hitting it off with earlier. They had a similar cheerful disposition.

The silver eyed girl looked up, noticing someone move closer to her desk. She cocked her head to the side, noticing it was Midoriya.

"H-hi." He squeaked, raising an awkward hand in greeting.

Kasha stared, wondering what he wanted. She inwardly grimaced when she noticed she was making him impossibly more nervous. It must've taken a lot of inner pep talking to psych himself up enough to approach her. He seemed incredibly shy, maybe even a little introverted.

"I j-just wanted to say t-thank you." Midoriya stuttered quietly.

Kasha blinked slowly, and then her expression softened. She wasn't surprised, because she'd already noticed that Midoriya had a softening effect to him. He just made Kasha want to root for him and coddle him. The only other person that made her feel like that was her younger sister Kaji.

 _'I guess I just see him as someone that needs to be looked after.'_ She thought, remembering how she'd comfortingly stroked his hair while passed out at the end of the hero exam.

"It's fine." Kasha said finally, feeling guilty for rubbing him the wrong way. "I don't say anything that isn't the truth. Not when it matters."

"I see." He mumbled, eyes skittering away before he looked back at her, his freckled cheeks a flaming hue of pink. "A-anyways, I-I wanted to t-tell you that. A-and also…"

"Hm?" She hummed patiently.

"Before," Midoriya mumurmed. "It was you, r-right? Wh-who said… _'You did good',_ when I thought I'd failed the hero exam."

Kasha's sleepy eyes widened ever so slightly.

She had thought he'd been too out of it to remember that. But she supposed he truly was full of surprises.

"Well, you did." Kasha found herself saying. "During that time, and during our assessment."

Midoriya's face somehow got even more red, and Kasha found it incredibly adorable.

"Cinnamon bun." She whispered.

"H-huh?" Midoriya stuttered, confused.

"Nothing." Kasha lied, shaking her head slightly as she quietly wondered, _'That was weird. What's wrong with me?'_

"O-oh. Okay." He said.

"Yūrei Kasha." She offered blankly.

"What?" He asked, blinking in understandable confusion.

"My name." Kasha clarified. "And you?"

"Oh!" He said, shaking his head to center himself. "M-Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku."

 _'Izuku?'_ She thought. _'Hm, I thought I heard Bakugo call him Deku...'_

"Well, Midoriya Izuku." Kasha began, ducking her head a little to catch the uncertain green eyes that were wandering away from her own shyly. "You were really something today. You made me wonder what else you can do."

The freckled boy looked up at her, blown away by her honest words. Kasha would be lying if she said she was unaware of why she'd said them, because she knew it was for his sake. He seemed unsure of himself in many ways, and she felt like she had to make sure he wasn't anymore.

 _'Is that conceited of me, to think I can help him in some way? To want to?'_ She wondered.

Midoriya offered her a wobbly smile.

"T-thank you." He said. "Y-you're r-really nice."

Kasha blinked.

It'd been a long time since someone used that as a way to describe her.

"Hm." She closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself a faint smile.

"Yūrei-san...?" Midoriya prompted unsurely.

"Just call me Kasha." She said, shrugging. "I have to go now, so I'll see you tomorrow, Midoriya."

"Uh… Okay?"

Kasha withheld the new smile that threatened to lift the corners of her lips. She nodded slightly and politely excused herself, making her way towards the door.

"Yeah." Midoriya finally managed quietly towards her back, a little more surely than before. "See you tomorrow."

 _'I look forward to it.'_

Kasha wondered if she should be worried about the honesty of that thought.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry, but Toru Hagakure was moved to class 1-C to make space for Kasha, because I hate odd numbers.**

 **I hope the chapter wasn't too boring, I feel like it was really dry.**


	6. A Fight of Fire and Shadow

**I don't own MHA, but I do own Kasha.**

 **Honestly, the fight scene was really shoddy, and I apologize in advance for that.**

* * *

The next day started out relatively normal, considering how intense the first day had been, or at least it seemed that way.

The white haired girl sat in the isolated window seat she'd made her own with Denki beside her. Uraraka and Midoriya were near Iida, as well as Bakugo, who was ironically very studious despite his delinquent-like behavior.

 _'But, he'd have to be it get into this school. At least somewhat.'_ Kasha thought, scribbling a last bit of notes from class into her notebook.

The silver eyed teen still wore her hair in flowing odango bun pigtails, and she'd donned a black masked leotard beneath her school uniform that day.

"That was surprisingly boring." Denki muttered, his chin cradled in his hand, elbow positioned on his desk.

"Hm." Kasha hummed, neither confirming nor denying his comment.

Just as Kasha began to contemplate the complete normal atmosphere in the classroom, the door was thrown open with a gunshot bang.

She tensed, limbs warming as her quirk instinctively reacted.

"I am… COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE NORMAL!"

Kasha's quirk fizzled away at the sound of that familiar, kind and booming voice.

 _'What the—'_

"All Might!?" Someone screeched.

"That wasn't normal at all!" Chuckled a boy with strange elbows.

"Omg, is that his silver age costume?"

"That's so retro!"

"I can't believe it's the number one hero!"

Kasha blinked for a moment, utterly floored. She soon snapped out of her stupor though, turning slightly to catch Denki's eye. He was grinning, giving her a thumbs up and practically vibrating in his seat in excitement.

All Might himself had shoved his massive form through the door to stand before the star struck students of class 1-A, placing his hands on his hips and giving a grand laugh at their awed faces and chatter.

 _'Well…'_ Kasha mused, looking back to the number one hero. _'He was the one to tell me I made it into U.A, and I'm guessing most of the other students if not all of them. It makes sense that he'd actually be teaching at some point.'_

She cocked her head to the side a little, curious. Though her only features, her sleepy white framed eyes remained free of any emotions.

"Hello young heroes!" He greeted loudly, making Kasha absently certain that his voice would carry beyond a mountain range. "Today you all will be participating in your very first Combat Training Simulation."

 _'Well they don't waste any time here do they?'_ Kasha thought.

Though, she understood as most of her peers cheered. She was already feeling excitement begin to rise in her stomach, mixing oddly with a hint of nerves. She knew her quirk was powerful, but she'd never used it in actual combat before. Of course she had experience with spars, being a member of a Taekwondo dojo, but that was another matter altogether.

All Might managed to grin a little wider before giving them a thumbs up, his teeth sparkling impossibly in the classroom lighting.

"And of course, this wouldn't be completed without these!"

Promoted by his words, metal briefcases were ejected from the walls with specific numbering. Kasha was once again impressed by the standards of U.A. It would seem they believed in plus ultra in many forms.

 _'I respect that though.'_ She thought.

"Our Hero costumes!" Denki shouted, standing and fist pumping gleefully.

"That is correct! The academy took liberty with your costume designs and had them made early on for you." All Might explained, resulting in another bout of gushing.

 _'My costume…'_ Kasha thought, standing slowly as some of her peers exclaimed about finally being able to wear their gear.

"Now hurry and get changed young heroes, and meet me at training Ground Beta!" All Might boomed, gone in an almost literal flash.

Aizawa-sensei, who Kasha had admittedly completely forgotten about with all the fuss, moved to the side and grumbled under his breath about sparkly idiots.

"Kasha, get up here you slow poke, it's time to move." Denki called from upfront.

Kasha blinked, calmly making her way up to the front of the class that was quickly being emptied as her peers rushed off to get changed. The silver eyed teen retrieved her own case and walked out of the class with her blonde friend.

He turned to her for a moment, pausing in his stride that would take him in the opposite direction of her.

"Is your costume hot?" He asked, grinning.

Kasha rolled her eyes faintly.

"It's practical." She intoned, turning away from him and making her way towards the girl's locker room.

"That's boring but you'd probably look hot in anything so I guess it's fine." He jeered at her back.

Kasha snorted quietly under her breath.

She closed her eyes briefly, amused as she thought, 'Idiot.'

Kasha made her way into the locker room, the other girls of her class mostly dressed. She made her way to a secluded locker in a completely different row than the one that occupied the other girls, setting her briefcase down on the bench bisecting the isle and quickly disrobing.

She undid her hair, letting it cascade freely down her back, swooping it to the side and over her shoulder so that it wouldn't get caught in her costume.

Kasha was shimmying into her costume, and had it around her hips when she froze, hearing a soft intake of startled breath. The silver eyed teen remained frozen and stiff as she listened to the sound of light footsteps behind her, approaching. Not soon after, Kasha got the sense that someone was right there behind her, she felt the warmth of a near presence.

 _'Who…?'_

She didn't say anything, just stood there with her back to the person, and her suit halfway on, her scars bare to the bright lighting of the locker room.

Kasha knew that who stood behind her was staring. Staring at the four, long silvery pink slash marks running across the length of her otherwise smooth back.

Kasha flinched, feeling a warm smooth palm laying flat against one of her scars. The pads of the person's fingers were velvety, like that of a cat.

Kasha shivered.

None of her other scars were being touched, but the gruesome starburst grin across her throat tickled in agitation, as well as the abundance of scars on her forearms. She knew it was in her head. She knew they were healed and nothing was messing with them.

But no one had touched them before. It was strange, and the strangeness was every form of unpleasant Kasha could think of. Why? Because Kasha hadn't shown them to anyone, not after remembering Kaji's screams. Not after her sister had despaired at the sight of them and what they represented.

Kasha told herself that she wasn't ashamed of them, that they were symbols of her survival… but with them naked and seen without her consent, Kasha felt exposed and _weak._ She didn't feel like she had survived a horrible ordeal, she felt like a victim that had pathetically clung to life after being discarded.

Useless and pitiful.

She hated it.

"Kasha…" Came a soft whisper, full of _that tone._ Full of pity.

 _Poor poor thing,_ that tone seemed to say.

Silver eyes squeezed shut.

Kasha hated the sound of Uraraka's pained whisper. She absolutely loathed it, almost as much as _that man._

The taller of the girls moved away from the intrusive palm of Uraraka, hurrying to pull the rest of her suit on, shielding her scarred back from sight and zipping herself up. When the old wounds were hidden once again, they stopped tickling.

Out of sight, out of mind they always say.

 _'But it's not really out of mind.'_ Kasha thought grimly. _'They'll never be out of mind, just like they'll never go away…'_

The white haired teen turned after finishing up her outfit, her eyes expressionless.

Uraraka stared up at her, brown eyes glittering with a hint of tears, and so so earnest.

Kasha pursed her lips.

"What…" Uraraka began, swallowing because she wasn't sure how to say what she wanted to. This much Kasha could see.

The smaller girl shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts again, brown eyes falling to Kasha's hidden wrists.

And Kasha remembered.

It had been right after Recovery Girl had healed Midoriya, who had passed out with his head in Kasha's lap after the Hero Exam. The old medic had seen Kasha's wrist scars because she'd accidentally burned through one of her sleeves to save Midoriya. It hadn't been long before Uraraka had noticed as well.

 _The old woman shifted Kasha's arm carefully, so that her wrist faced up. The silver eyed girl felt the old woman's grip tighten ever so slightly at the seven, sloppy slash marks still very much apparent against her burned flesh._

 _Kasha knew what her scars implied, but she hadn't cut herself because of the usual reasons a teenager would do so. She hadn't been depressed and trapped in that sense._

 _She had been forced to cut her own flesh, or risk watching a madman slice her sister Kaji's throat from ear to ear, just as he had did to Kasha's father mere minutes before she'd arrived home that horrible day._

 _Kasha heard Uraraka take in a startled breath, she too, spotting the ugly, long slash marks marring her arm. But no one commented on them. Kasha idly wondered how they would react to the sight of her whole body, her legs and face being the only things spared from the scarring._

Kasha blinked the memory away slowly, knowing that Uraraka remembered just as she did, which was why the shorter girl was studying her hidden wrists like so.

Uraraka swallowed visibly, and she took in a small breath, stepping a little closer to Kasha, seeming to have gathered herself a little more.

"Kasha…" Uraraka began anew, still hesitant. "You…"

The taller girl stared unblinkingly, and this was enough to have the gravity user trailing off again.

Now, Kasha wasn't particularly polite or rude. She was pretty honest, so she never saw need in sugarcoating anything. When she didn't like something, she was more than likely to let it be known in some way.

"Uraraka, you're very kind." She stated, but her words were horribly matched with the frosty look her silver eyes had adorned. "But that's no excuse for asking after things people don't want to talk about."

"K-Kasha…" Uraraka said quietly, her face pinched.

It seemed so very unlike her, though it was probably too early to be making calls like that, the stressed, upset face the shorter girl was wearing just didn't suit her.

For the life of her, Kasha couldn't bring herself to care at that moment.

Uraraka moved closer anyway, despite the sharp warning air Kasha was giving off, and the gravity user reached out. Kasha forced herself not to shy away, because she'd already shown a form a weakness, and she wouldn't be doing so again. The shorter girl placed her soft hands onto Kasha's wrists, staring up into guarded silver eyes with her own worried brown.

"But…" Uraraka murmured, stopping again.

The silver eyed girl just shook her head slowly, silently telling the other girl not to go there. Not to try and ease or force herself into that door… because if she did… she wouldn't like what she'd find.

"Okay." Uraraka said quietly, nodding. "Alright."

And that was all that needed to be said.

Kasha pulled her arms from the other girl's hands, and then she walked away.

* * *

Kasha made her way to training Ground Beta, stopping and standing off to the side, near, but away from her peers.

Denki made his way over to her, giving her a thumbs up with a smile.

"You look way awesome." He complimented.

The white haired girl inclined her head as response, not feeling up to starting a bout of banter at that moment. She was still unsettled by what had happened minutes prior.

But even so, she was as prepared as she could be for battle, at least physically. Her hero suit had been designed to help her as much a possible after all.

Kasha wore a black form fitting suit with a thick high collar that had four circular silver vents on the front. It completely covered the lower half of her face, only revealing her eyes. The sleeves were long, held to her hands by a single finger hole for both of her middle fingers, her nails painted sky blue. She wore thigh high black boots with thick white heeled soles, eight silver circular vents running down the side of said footwear.

Kasha's arms bore silver gauntlets that went from her wrists to her forearms, holding a more rectangular shape, and they had multiple circular vents running down them as well, specifically designed so that she could shoot her fire out like a flamethrower. The front of her costume had a white stripe bisecting it, and the back of the suit was the same.

Her hair was free, spilling down her back and resting against her thighs.

"Wow, Uraraka, your suit is uh… really cool too." Denki said.

Kasha didn't turn to look at the shorter girl who had arrived and stood beside her, still unsure of how she should behave after what had transpired between them.

 _'Was I too harsh?'_ Kasha wondered.

But even if she was, she really didn't want to talk about where she had gotten her scars. No one was ever even supposed to know they were there.

"Um, thanks Kaminari, it's a little tight and poofy though." Uraraka mumbled, sounding bashful. "Maybe I should've been more specific with what I wanted."

"Nah, it's fine." Denki waved off. "It gives you a certain 'appeal', as they say."

"Yeah, the wrong kind." Uraraka complained lowly.

Denki chuckled, and Kasha still refused to look at either of them at the moment, instead turning to look for All Might. She thought she heard one of her classmates muttering about thanking Kami for the hero course, but she brushed it off.

Soon her attention shifted again as a new person made their way onto the scene.

"Oh my gosh Midoriya your costume is super down to earth and practical!" Uraraka exclaimed, presumably bouncing over to the mint green garbed boy.

Kasha glanced at him and away, taking note of his suit. Uraraka was right, it did look pretty practical, though somewhere along the line he might want to think about some more gear, considering how self harming his quirk was.

Midoriya and Uraraka embarrassed one another with compliments and assurances, and Iida came over to greet them. Though before things could get out of hand, All Might finally appeared before the class, his grin as grand and otherworldly as it always was.

"Look at you all! " All Might exclaimed proudly. "You're all definitely looking the part of new heroes, so now it's time to start playing the part!"

The number one hero then began to explain the exercise to the class, Iida once again questioning the flow of things before being placated.

"Young Iida, heroes are not always partnered with someone they know. There are times in which heroes from different agencies team up on the fly to stop calamity, villains, or rescue civilians."

"I see, but of course! Thank you for clarifying sir." Iida responded diligently, bowing in apology. "And please excuse my rudeness!"

"It's quite alright young man!" All Might chuckled, waving away and continuing on.

Though the number one hero handled the chatter and questions of Kasha's classmates rather well, she still noticed All Might seemed a little flustered, and she could've sworn she spotted him looking at a notebook for reference several times.

"So, basically everyone will be paired off in two on two fights?" Denki summed up at her side.

Kasha nodded.

All Might had explained that one team would act as villains protecting a paper-mache bomb while the hero team had to either "disarm" the bomb by touching it, or capture the villains with "special" villain tape.  
Teams were chosen at random and given letters to differentiate between them.

"How lucky, looks like we're partners!" Uraraka cheered, grinning at Midoriya.

Kasha winced faintly when she spotted Iida trying to talk to Bakugo, only to be completely blown off with a few choice curse words. The teams went like so:

 **Team A: Midoriya and Uraraka**

 **Team B: Mezo and Todoroki**

 **Team C: Mineta and Yaoyorozu**

 **Team D: Bakugou and Iida**

 **Team E: Ashido and Aoyama**

 **Team F: Koda and Sato**

 **Team G: Kaminari and Yūrei**

 **Team H: Fumikage and Asui**

 **Team I: Ojiro and Jiro**

 **Team J: Hanta and Kirishima**

"Oh hells yes." Denki muttered, bumping his shoulder against Kasha's cordially.

She would admit, her chosen teammate did lift her spirits a little.

"First off, team A and team D!" All Might declared.

"Oh hells no." Denki immediately deadpanned.

Kasha nodded in agreement, spotting Midoriya from the corner of her eye, noticing his rapidly paling face. Though, by the way he clenched his fists, he seemed determined to give it his all.

"Each team has five minutes to prepare for their mock battle, A will be heroes, and D villains." All Might explained. "The rest of you, follow me to the observation room, and make sure your team communicators are fully functional."

A few minutes went by as everyone did this, and then the rest of the class followed All Might to a seperate location.

The number one hero brought the remainder of the 1-A students to a dark observation room, filled with monitors and a large keyboard beneath it.

Kasha migrated to the back, near the door. Denki stayed close to her side, and everyone else began to mingle with their chosen partners.

Gold eyes met silver.

"I think it's safe to say we need a plan." Denki said.

Kasha nodded.

"Okay," He began. "First let's get introductions out of the way. I'll tell you about my quirk, you tell me about yours, and then we can come up with a way to combine forces and fight the other team."

"Hm." Kasha hummed. "You first."

Denki saluted, and then he held his hands out before her, palm up. Kasha watched curiously as he discharged a small amount of electricity from his hands, the wiry yellow sparks jumping across his palms and dancing throughout the air.

"You saw it during the apprehension test, and I saw yours, but my quirk is called Electrification." Denki explained, allowing the sparks to die down. "It gives me the ability to charge electricity and emit it out of my body, electrocuting anyone it touches through contact. The downside is that I can't control the direction it goes in even though I have a lot of range. As of late I can discharge 1,300,000 volts, which'll electrocute anything in the immediate area, but I don't think that'd be a smart move, since that'll surpass my limit."

"Limit?" Kasha echoed.

"Yeah, I uh… I have a wattage limit I need to be mindful of." Denki clarified nervously, glancing away. "If I'm not I'll short circuit my own brain."

Kasha's fair brows rose in surprise at this, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"What happens when you go over your limit?" She murmured.

Denki blushed, reaching up and rubbing at the back of his head bashfully.

"My cognitive functions start failing and basically I'm an idiot for an hour before going back to normal." He admitted, refusing to meet her eyes.

Kasha stared.

Several long beats passed before her friend threw his hands up and squeaked, "Say something will ya!?"

That abrupt shattering of the awkward silence was quite enough to break her resolve. Kasha swiftly turned away, choking quietly on a snort of laughter.

"It's not funny!" Denki screeched, probably as red as a ripe tomato. It only made the situation all the more hilarious to her.

Kasha held a placating hand towards him, though she still didn't turn to look at him again as she forced herself to wipe the amused smirk off of her covered face.

"I know." She intoned, gut convulsing as she wrestled with the urge to snicker. "I'm sorry."

"You're so not sorry." Denki complained.

"I am." Kasha insisted, pinching the back of her hand hard enough that it forced her to stop smiling.

Once in control of her expression, her hand stinging something fierce, the white haired girl turned to him and stared expressionlessly as if the incident had never happened.

"I have an emitter quirk too." She began blandly, not blinking as Denki crossed his arms and proceeded to pout at her. "It's called Supernova. Basically, I emit superheated hydrogen and helium that encases my whole body. I can burn the gases rapidly and make myself light enough to fly. The drawback of this is that I have a literal large amount of firepower, but shoddy control. It's hard for me to direct fire into a single limb or two instead of all over my body. I usually burn myself if I try."

"Okay." Denki nodded, uncrossing his arms. He'd sobered because he noticed that Kasha was making an honest effort at being serious. "Any specific weaknesses besides lack of control?"

"Yes." Kasha muttered. "I tend to destroy everything around me when emitting heat hotter than most lava. That's where the supernova comes in. I literally explode before passing out from exhaustion. I'm also weak to excessive brute force. If I'm hit hard enough I'll lose a handle on my quirk and my flames will die out."

"Hm, that's a pretty normal weakness. I think anybody would go down if they were struck hard enough." The blonde mused. "But out of curiosity… How hot can you get?"

"Half as hot of the sun's surface, so… 4,970.365°F." Kasha said quietly.

"Lord almighty." Denki croaked. "If you lost control at that temperature you'd destroy more than a city block."

Kasha nodded, a bleak look in her silver eyes.

She had plenty of power, but not enough control, so she couldn't even go all out, considering they would be participating in a school exercise, so she had no business burning hot enough to cause permanent damage.

She would be at a serious disadvantage if they didn't think up something crafty.

"So, any skills that'll help us outside of your quirk?" Denki asked, bringing her thoughts back on track.

"I practice Taekwondo. Currently I'm a higher red belt, one rank from black."

Her blonde partner stared.

"I'd have never guessed." He said, his tone a little flat with his surprise.

Kasha tilted her head slightly, and Denki shook his own, regaining his composure.

"You're full of surprises my friend." He said. "But that's good. Me? My mom is a cop, so I know a few self defense throws."

"Hm, okay." Kasha hummed. She could work with that. "Do you want to come up with the plan, or me?"

"You're being strangely social right now." Denki observed suspiciously.

"I have no choice." Kasha deadpanned. "Would you rather be ignored and we both fail?"

The electricity user snorted.

"Yeah yeah okay. I'm just teasing." He waved away. "I'll let you handle it. You seem the type to be good at giving people the run around. My critical thinking skills are nothing to scoff at but I'm positive you've got this."

Kasha wasn't sure if she should be flattered by his faith in her, being a virtual stranger and all, or to accuse him of being a lazy bum.

So she did both.

Denki just grinned roguishly.

"Okay, but seriously though. Last thing, anything with your costume that'll help?" He asked, his face becoming serious again.

"Mm." Kasha nodded. "The vents on my gauntlets and boots are meant to expel my flames like a flamethrower when I charge more power into my limbs while in my flame form. It's supposed to help control the direction my fire goes in."

"Nice." Denki commented. "Looks like you put a lot of thought into your suit's design. Maybe I should go to the support department after this. I just have this Communication Earpiece. I can use it to channel my electricity and create electrical communication signals. It helps me to communicate with other channels remotely."

Kasha just looked at him flatly when he chuckled bashfully.

"Well, it'd be helpful if All Might wasn't giving us separate communication devices," He tried. "And… you know, you carried a radio or something."

Kasha's eyes seemed to communicate that he should stop rambling, because he did, shrugging a little helplessly.

With a quiet sigh, the fire user offered her own faint shrug.

"Wanna start planning now?" Denki asked suddenly.

"We should wait until we know who we're up against and what role All Might plans to give us." Kasha pointed out.

"I know. You're right, I'm just a little on edge." Her friend muttered. "I hope I don't panic, I'm horrible under pressure."

"I'll do my best to keep you in check." She offered softly.

She wouldn't begrudge him for being uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation. Sure it may set them back, but as long as he did his best, Kasha would have nothing negative to think or say about him regarding their results.

"Thanks bud." Denki mumbled, smiling a little.

After that, they both turned back to the screen, watching Uraraka and Midoriya enter the building that served as Bakugo and Iida's base of operations.

What transpired in that building blew everyone in the monitor room away.

"Whoa." Denki breathed after All Might declared Team A victorious. "Bakugo was vicious, but Midoriya was no slouch either."

Kasha nodded quietly, completely agreeing.

 _'Midoriya won, but he's being sent to Recovery Girl again.'_ Kasha thought. _'I wonder if U.A can help people with control trouble to learn to handle their quirks better… You'd think it would've been mentioned at least in passing...'_

Next up was Team B with Mezo and Todoroki as villains, and then Team I with Oijiro and Jiro as heroes.

Everyone watched with baited breath as the next mock battle began. Kasha was floored by Todoroki's raw power as chilling control. She wondered how she'd stack up against him in an all out fight. If she could beat someone as powerful as him… surely taking out _that man_ wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

"Dang." A boy with spiky red hair whistled. "Todoroki is super manly, he didn't give them any time to do anything."

Sero, a boy with large elbows nodded in agreement.

"Okay all." All Might called for attention. "Next is Team G: Kaminari and Yūrei as villains, and Team H: Fumikage and Asui as heroes."

"Oh man, it's time to face the music." Denki muttered nervously, shaking his hands out a little.

"Good?" Kasha asked, raising a fair brow at him.

He dragged in a shuddering breath, nodding.

"As good as I'm gonna get I guess."

Kasha would take what she could get, and that would simply have to do.

"Okay villians of the day, head to building G, your base of operations." All Might instructed. "You know the drill young heroes, five minutes to prepare before game time."

They both nodded, and headed out.

* * *

Kasha stood alone in the room next to the one holding her team's "nuclear weapon". It had plain cement walls, no windows, and a mass of twisting bare pipes running along the ceiling.

Said weapon was sealed away after Kasha melted the door frame closed. It was a weak effort, but it at least would slow down the hero team because they'd have to bust it open.

If they were going to check every room on the upper floor like Kasha was assuming, they'd stumble across her first before finding the weapon.

If they noticed the melted door and went for it instead of the room she was in, she'd hear them breaking it down, and be able to stop them in time before they got to the weapon.

Denki, as Kasha had asked, was patrolling the lower floors, keeping quiet and looking out for their adversaries.

 _"Okay, begin!"_ All Might's voice boomed over the comms.

Kasha winced faintly, but otherwise retained her composure.

A small amount of static sounded in her right ear.

 _"Kasha, they're coming in."_ Came Denki's voice in a whisper.

Kasha allowed herself a deep calming breath as her nerves began to twist around in her stomach. Even if they didn't win, she at least wanted to do well. From what Kasha had seen, Tokoyami had an incredibly powerful quirk, and Asui had a formidable amount of control over her own.

They were nothing to scoff at, so she'd have to be on her guard.

"Stay on them." Kasha instructed over the comm. "Give me updates on whatever they're doing."

 _"Rodger."_ Denki murmured.

Kasha could almost see him offering a goofy thumbs up as he stealthily followed the unknowing heroes.

Kasha took a seat on the floor, biding her time, resting her arm on the back of her knee as she pulled one of her legs up.

It wasn't long before another break in the silence came with Denki's rushed voice in her ear.

 _"They're splitting up!"_ He hissed. _"Asui's going low and Tokoyami's heading towards you."_

"Damn." Kasha tutted. "Okay, keep calm. Can I trust you to go after Asui? Just jump her from behind and taser her."

 _"I'll try, but that's messed up Kasha."_ Denki said.

"We're villains right now." She reminded him, tone Sahara dry.

 _"Yeah yeah, I'm on it."_ He said, muttering more quietly, _"Slave driver."_

Kasha rolled her eyes.

She rested for another minute before standing up and running through some stretches. She needed to be limber if she wanted to take on Tokoyami. Though his quirk was formidable in strength and versatility, his body was thin and wiry, telling Kasha that he didn't participate in much physical activity. She might be able to overpower him if she went in close and cutthroat.

 _"Kasha!"_ Denki yelled, alarmed.

The white haired girl stiffened.

"What's the matter?" She asked quietly, despite her inner alarm.

 _"I lost Asui!"_ Her partner despaired.

"What?" She blinked. "How could you have—"

 _"She must've known I was following her because she suddenly turned around and whipped me across the face with her tongue, her_ tongue _Kasha!"_ He sputtered. _"When I looked up again she was gone!"_

 _'Shit.'_ Kasha thought, scowling faintly. _'What's their plan? Why did they split up immediately like that? And what is Asui doing?'_

It seemed like the hero team had something specific in mind, since Asui took the chance to get away from Denki instead of fighting him head on.

"Don't panic." Kasha intoned, taking hold of her composure by the throat. "Just find her. Do your best Denki."

 _"Okay."_ He said, sounding less frazzled. _"Okay I will."_

The communicators went silent, and Kasha tensed when she heard the knob to the door twisting quietly. None of the doors could be locked, so that's part of the reason she'd welded the one leading to the weapon shut.

Kasha tip toed towards the door, placing her back against the wall, standing right beside it, waiting.

She closed her eyes briefly, unconsciously holding her breath as a black bird shaped shadow slipped through the small crack in the door. It had sharp, glowing yellow eyes. Kasha guessed by the way it trailed on and on out of the door that Tokoyami had sent it to scout, and he was across the hall, playing it safe.

 **"I don't see the weapon Fumi."** The shadow called, slowly inching back out of the door, miraculously not turning to see Kasha standing there.

 _'Now or never.'_ She thought.

The teen called her upon her quirk, body glowing the trademark ghostly white of her flame form. Her eyes blared similarly to Dark Shadow's, though her own were white hot pits.

At the sudden increase in temperature, Dark Shadow veered away from her, turning to face her with a snarl.

Kasha burst forward, throwing the door open and shouldering her way passed the apparition, thrown off when it screeched in pain on contact.

Tokoyami, who was indeed standing across the hall, gasped as she blurred into view, reeling his sentient quirk back in to defend himself.

 _'Oh no you don't!'_ She thought fiercely, swiftly closing the distance between them. Kasha fisted the front of his costume, ignoring the way he winced when the material immediately began smoking. She yanked the shorter boy forward with virtually no effort, and once he was off his feet, she pushed him towards the open door of the room she'd vacated.

He stumbled but remained standing, and Kasha planted a booted foot in his back, forcing him all the way into the room.

"Dark Shadow!" He bellowed.

His quirk grew in size, flinging itself up and taking hold of a few naked pipes in the ceiling, pulling its master along with it for the ride.

Kasha stepped back into the room, kicking the door shut behind her. Her whole body was glowing white at this point, her hair having transformed into a white stream of fire that trailed behind her.

Dark Shadow released the pipes after flinging itself across the room to another set, gaining distance, but also trapping its master in the room with Kasha. The shadow being merged back with its master, hiding from view for the time being.

Tokoyami landed in a crouch, glaring at her across the room. He reached up, his bony fingers pressing against the communicator All Might had given him.

"I had hoped I wouldn't have to resort to this… but you are strong, Yūrei-san." He murmured. "Asui are you in position?"

There was a short pause, and Kasha hesitated, not sure if she should just rush him or not.

"Good." Tokoyami intoned. "Do it."

Kasha stiffened.

"The light your quirk emits should at least be enough to keep him in check." Tokoyami muttered, obviously musing aloud.

Not a second later, the lights ominously shut off one by one.

"Clever." Kasha murmured, glowing eyes darting all around as everything was doused in darkness. Her comm went off.

 _"Kasha, the power's gone out!"_ Denki hissed frantically.

"I know." She whispered. "It was their plan all along. Smart, but I don't think it's going to work. Find Asui."

 _"Okay, if you say so."_ He mumbled, link going silent again.

 **"Now this is what I'm talking about!"** A warped voice roared.

Kasha gasped, dodging to the left as a massive black fist slammed into the floor, sending chunks of cement flying in all directions.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami snapped. "Simply incapacitate her, do not crush her!"

 **"But she burned me! She deserves to get smeared across the pavement for that."** The shadow growled.

"Absoluetly not!" Tokoyami huffed angrily.

Kasha increased the output of her flames, her hair flaring out wildly, emitting swaying tongues of white flame.

She could see again, and she didn't like what she saw.

Dark Shadow was everywhere, clinging to the walls and writhing madly, many clawed hands scrabbled for purchase in the room, and in the center of it, was Tokoyami. His quirk wrapped around him like a cloak, his body nearly swallowed by the behemoth dark creature.

 _'Burned huh?'_ Kasha thought, glowing eyes narrowing, smoke shooting out in long jets from the vents in her mask. _'I guess he doesn't like fire, or light for that matter.'_

And now that she thought about it, it made sense. Why would a shadow user not be wary of someone who literally created light. No wonder Tokoyami had sent a probe with the intent to get in and out quickly.

Though, the bird headed boy didn't give her anymore time to think, because he rose his hands, which were encased in Dark Shadow, making them much larger and monstrous.

He swung one of his fists, and Kasha rolled to the side, hopping up and using his second attacking arm as a springboard, expelling flames from both of her gauntlets behind herself as she flipped. Dark Shadow roared in pain as Kasha landed smoothly with an audible _clack_ on the floor. She turned swiftly to face his next assault, but wasn't quick enough as a large shadow palm slammed into her chest, flinging her across the room and pinning her against the far wall.

She coughed, spit flying from her mouth on impact and immediately evaporating behind her mask.

Dark Shadow's other fist reared back, presumably to literally punch her lights out, but she increased her heat output yet again. The result was instantaneous. The angry creature released her as his hand began smoking, instead batting her to the side. With a grunt of pain, Kasha took the hit and used the momentum to roll into a crouch.

 _'Sloppy Kasha.'_ She chided herself, rolling away from a wild haymaker. _'Too sloppy. Get in close and take him out.'_

She knew being in a fight with quirks would be different than spars at the dojo, but she really had no idea how unprepared she was for real battle.

 **" _Argh!_ Stop dodging you gnat!"** Dark Shadow growled, angrily moving to swat her again.

Kasha back flipped over his attack, and the next one after that. She gracefully dodged around his erratic swings, slowly and steadily making her way towards Tokoyami.

"Dark Shadow, calm yourself!" The bird boy ordered, gritting his teeth as he visibly strained to keep back some of the force in his quirk's attacks.

 **"No! I'll destroy this buzzing gnat!"** The quirk spat venomously.

She simply waited, and just as she thought, he attacked with his left fist first.

Kasha pivoted on her foot, sliding past the pillar of shadow, lifting her left leg and forcing heat into the vents on her boot's side, wincing when her skin became more heated than she intended. She brought her leg up, parallel to her ear as Dark Shadow neared again with his next fist, too late to stop his wild follow up punch.

Kasha had noticed that when he missed with one fist, he immediately tried the next, simply raging in the hope of swatting her.

 _'Well. He's going to fail.'_ She thought sharply.

As soon as Dark Shadow's massive arm was close enough, Kasha brought her leg down, a stream of white flame following the swift movement, the heel of her foot crushing into what was the shadow's wrist.

The scream of pain it released was one of the most chilling things Kasha had ever heard.

But she wasted no time, forcing the shadow's hand onto the floor with her foot, stomping on it with an explosive emission of flame. The creature roared in agony again, this time with Tokoyami wailing in pain as well. Had the wrist been human, Kasha's stomp would have shattered bone.

Kasha burst forward, airborne, white flames streaming behind her as she curled into a ball, coming out of her flip so that both of her feet slammed into Tokoyami's chest.

The bird boy cried out as he was sent clear across the room, slamming and crumbling against the wall, his quirk shriveling up and disappearing so quickly from the surrounding room it nearly gave Kasha whiplash. Tokoyami groaned, twitching against the wall he was slumped against.

"You give?" Kasha intoned.

 **"As if!"** Came Dark Shadow's snarl.

The quirk poured out of Tokoyami's midriff, said boy convulsing in pain as his quirk went against his will and zipped across the dark room, much smaller than it had been before Kasha had forcibly deactivated it.

Instead of trying to reason with an obvious sore loser, Kasha slid her feet apart, and tucked her arms in at her sides, hands tightening to fists and wrists face up. When the glowing eyed creature got near, her right arm shot up into a punch, nailing the quite solid quirk in the chin. It recoiled from the force, and Kasha gave it no time to recover before she was hitting the other side of its face with her other fist. She slid back, and lifted her leg, smacking it across the face with three strong kicks in rapid succession.

 **"Ow!"** Dark Shadow exclaimed. **"Stop hitting me you wretch!"**

"Back off." Kasha returned coldly.

It snarled and tried to grab her, so she drifted to the side, grabbing the junction between its neck and shoulder, her other hand clamping on one of its wrists, pivoting once again on her foot and pinning the quirk to the ground. She put her knee in what would be Dark Shadow's back, a flaming fist held near its head, daring it to use its free hand to attack.

 **"Wretched firebug!"** Dark Shadow huffed.

"You give?" Kasha intoned, unfazed by its insults. After all the things she'd been through, words were often the least of her concerns.

 **"Never!"** It thrashed. **"I'll crush you small fry!"**

Kasha simply mounted its back, calling her quirk to burn hotter so that her fists gave off heat waves and wild tongues of flame. Once she did this, she proceeded to rapidly slam her fists into the back of Dark Shadow's head, paying it back for tossing her around earlier, completely ignoring its cries of pain as she cratered its face into the floor.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Kasha immediately halted her assault, allowing her flame form to die away, revealing her normal human form beneath.

She solemnly stood, dusting off imaginary dust from her costume.

 _"Villain Team wins."_ All Might's voice came over the loudspeakers. _"Young Kaminari has defeated young Asui, and I do believe that Tokoyami is quite done, young Yūrei."_

"Heard." Kasha murmured, nodding once.

The lights switched back on one by one, humming with power. Kasha glanced over at Tokoyami, who had called his quirk back to him after Kasha had stopped her merciless assault. He was glaring at his hands, and Kasha sensed he had a few things he needed to sort out alone.

"Good fight." She offered blankly, quietly leaving the room, feeling his surprised gaze on her back.

She met up with Denki and they returned to the observation room. The eyes of Kasha's classmates were heavy on her form.

She wondered if she'd imagined the fear she saw in some of them.

* * *

 **Well, that's that. I hope she didn't seem too OP, though she was matched against someone who was simply at a disadvantage against her.**


	7. What's In A Mask

**I don't own MHA. I think this chapter is kinda boring, but I was trying to elaborate on the type of person Kasha is. The next one will definitely be better... (maybe).**

* * *

After all was said and done, class 1-A did somewhat admirably for their very first Combat Assessment.

Kasha was informed by All Might that she should exercise a little more restraint, because apparently she'd been too rough with Dark Shadow, despite the fact that he'd relentlessly attacked her and refused to submit.

 _'Well, you can't please everybody.'_ The silver eyed girl thought. _'Not that I even want to.'_

Everyone was making their way back to the locker rooms, chattering amongst themselves. Kasha was a little lost in thought, so Denki was entertaining himself with the company of a redhead named Kirishima.

 _'I wonder, what can I add to my hero costume so I'm more effective in combat?'_ Kasha thought. _'And honestly though...what did All Might mean by restraint? Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were still alive after our fight so what's the problem?'_

Before she could muse any further on those subjects, her shoulder was roughly bashed against someone else's. Silver eyes blinked, shifting slightly to meet irritated red.

"Fucking watch it, Ghostface." Bakugo growled.

Kasha tilted her head to the side in question. She didn't say anything, but she knew the minute gesture was quite enough to get her point across.

"Your hair is white, how the fuck is your skin nearly the same color? That's why you're Ghostface, shitty extra." He spat, surprising her because he actually explained his reasoning. He hadn't seemed the type.

"Ashido-san's skin is pink." Kasha offered blankly.

"What the fuck ever." Bakugo dismissed. "Raccoon Eyes is another story."

Kasha blinked silently as he stormed away.

 _'Well, that definitely could've been worse.'_ She thought.

The white haired girl supposed maybe she should've been insulted by Bakugo's name calling, but some of her classmates had been already dubbed truly awful things, and her own was admittedly creative. She decided to just go with the flow, as she often did when she felt no true reason to step up. Plus, Kasha doubted that arguing with Bakugo to call her more respectfully would even be fruitful, he seemed the type to ignore the desires of others.

"Well, it's better than Pikachu." Denki offered, getting a faint wince from Kirishima.

"And Hair-for-Brains." He grumbled.

Kasha smirked faintly. She needn't say anything, they all knew it was true.

"Oh hey, you're Yūrei right?" Kirishima finally greeted from Denki's right. She stood to the blonde's left, so they peered over Denki's shoulders to communicate.

"Mm." Kasha hummed.

"Cool, I'm Kirishima." He said, smiling over at her with his sharp teeth. "Your fight was pretty intense, the way you held it down even when the lights went out was super manly, but you gave me chills towards the end."

"I see." Kasha murmured, not sure what else there was to say in response. "You did well too."

Kirishima flexed a little, grinning happily as he thanked her.

Denki sighed.

"What about me?" He asked. "How did I do?"

"Well," Kirishima began thoughtfully. "I think you did pretty good too, never would've expected you to take on a stealthy approach dude, but the way you turned around your fight with Asui was super manly! She never saw it coming. One minute it was quiet and she was going after Tokoyami and the next she was on the floor!"

Kasha noticed Denki puffing up a little in pride at the praise.

"I definitely thought she had me after smacking me but she took off." The blonde said, smiling. "But Kasha kept a cool head and I didn't want to be the reason we went down, so… the result was a flawless victory."

Kasha faintly rolled her eyes.

There was nothing flawless about their match, considering how Denki had nearly panicked a few times and how sloppily Kasha handled her own altercation. But it was a learning experience for them both, so she had no real complaints.

Noticing they made their way into the Academy and had reached the corridor that lead to their respective gender locker rooms, Kasha hitched a thumb in the direction of the girls side. Noticing, Denki nodded.

"Okay, see you in a bit hot stuff." He said.

Kirishima offered her a polite smile and thumbs up. The white haired girl simply nodded and took her leave, following after the other girls.

She made her way to her secluded locker, peeling off her hero suit and gauntlets. After that she made her way to the showers. She was the last one in, so she'd have to take the stall at the very back of the tiled room. Wrapped in a fluffy white towel and shielded by her long flowing hair, she strode across the floor, holding her towel closed.

She felt the eyes of her peers following her, but she met no one's gaze as she moved. She knew her hair was hiding her profile just as well as her mask would have.

Kasha tuned out the friendly chatter that rose again after she shut her stall's door behind herself.

After she was all cleaned, she left the stall, hair clinging to her skin. Again she was the last one, and she snuck passed her peers back to her locker as everyone dressed.

Dried and hair combed, she put back on her school uniform, feeling confident beneath the black cloth mask of her leotard. She was just finishing up tying her hair into her odango buns when someone behind her cleared their throat.

Calmly, Kasha closed her locker and grabbed the briefcase holding her hero attire. Silver eyes met honest brown.

Uraraka Ochako stared at Yūrei Kasha, fiddling a little with her fingers nervously. The white haired teen looked at her with solemn sleepy eyes, waiting to see what the shorter girl wanted.

So far after earlier that day they'd simply ignored one another. Apparently that wasn't sitting well with the gravity user. As if to confirm this, Uraraka took a deep steadying breath and released it, looking at the taller girl with a new firm set to her shoulders.

"Look, first I want to say I'm sorry for what happened earlier." Uraraka stated. "And then, I want to ask if we can talk later… after school."

Kasha tilted her head.

 _'What's the harm, hm?'_

Nothing. It wouldn't harm her. So…

"Alright." Kasha agreed.

"Okay," Uraraka mumbled, looking away. "Okay, cool. I'll… I'll talk to you later."

Kasha nodded.

The shorter girl lingered for a few moments, seeming to want to say something else, but she just shook her head and waved, scurrying off.

"Hm." Kasha hummed.

 _'I wonder what I just agreed to?'_

* * *

At lunch time, Denki followed Kasha to the courtyard. The two of them sat on a bench while other students mingled, enjoying their own lunch period. The sun was high and bright, bathing the opposite duo in warm afternoon rays.

Kasha had made her own lunch, a simple set of salted onigiri and a thermos full of mint strawberry iced tea. Denki had ordered from the cafeteria, still quite taken with the novelty of having the pro hero Lunch Rush making food for the school. He was enjoying a bowl of udon with a side of mixed tempera.

"Hey Kasha," Denki called, drawing her eyes to him. "We're friends, right?"

Kasha stared.

He rubbed at the back of his head, uncomfortable.

"I mean, if we're not we're getting there right?" He asked.

"What's this about?" Kasha asked bluntly.

First Uraraka wants to talk after school, now Denki was randomly asking about the nature of their relationship. What was with today?

"Honestly, I'm curious." He admitted, just as blunt. "Why do you wear that mask?"

Kasha froze, remembering

 _"Nee-chan, your face is always sad now. Don't look sad."_

Of course he didn't know what he brought forth by those words. He had no idea, and he wasn't supposed to. It wasn't anyone's business that Kasha covered her face because she had no real control over her expressions. Wasn't their business that more often times than not, the look on her face brought her sister pain. Since meeting Denki, she had been in a positive mood more often than she could remember since her parents had died. It was staggering.

Without even realizing, she was beginning to change. Or was she still mostly the same as she'd always been, simply waiting for the right person to reach out and be nice to her?

Even so, it was too fast. Her change of behavior too sudden. It didn't make much sense and was honestly a little frightening. Kasha had gotten used to the way she'd been going, quiet and alone, longing for the days when the world was safe enough after she brought justice for her wronged parents by taking down that man, the day she could be with her sister and aunt again with a free conscience.

 _"Nee-chan, please pat my head and say 'It's okay'." Kaji begged._

 _It wasn't okay._

 _Nothing was ever going to be okay again._

 _"Nee-chan…" Kaji whimpered, tears welling in her eyes._

 _Pain stabbed at Kasha's battered heart._

 _"I'm sorry Kaji."_

Kasha blinked away the spirit crushing memories.

How dare she.

How _dare_ she find any form of happiness before she'd shown Kaji that she could be anything other than pathetic again? How dare she?

"It's because I'm hideous." She answered dryly, only a beat off. The electricity user didn't seem to notice her slight hesitance.

"Blasphemy!" Denki hollered. "I refuse to believe this!"

"It doesn't matter." She said quietly, shrugging. "I'm not taking it off."

At this, Denki pouted, but she paid him no mind, focusing her gaze somewhere across the courtyard, eyes unfocused. She'd eaten her lunch already, honestly had finished it while Denki was ordering his own earlier. So she didn't have to worry about him seeing her face. She wasn't sure how he felt about her dodging his inquiry, but he was polite enough to not call her on it.

She appreciated him for it, so she found herself saying:

"We're friends Denki."

He looked at her, udon noodles hanging from his mouth, and gaped.

She shook her head at him. The blonde blushed in response and finished the last of his noodles before speaking once more.

"Okay, so we're friends." He restated. "So someday, can I ask you about your mask again?"

Kasha looked away again.

"You can, but will I answer? We'll see." She murmured.

"Yeah, we'll see." He agreed, content with that.

They sat the rest of their lunch in contemplative silence.

Denki didn't know, and would never know that Kasha had donned her mask because Kaji couldn't bare the sadness in her expressions that nearly took over her personality as a whole. It wasn't his concern, and Kasha had no intention of making him believe it was in the near or distant future.

But, setting that aside, Kasha hadn't seen Kaji in a while. Not since before she started at U.A.

 _'Him asking about my mask reminds me…'_ She thought sadly.

Truthfully the mask was for Kaji, until Kasha could smile again, with no hint of melancholy ruining everything. How could Kasha allow herself to be happy before her mission was complete? How could she find herself smiling for someone that wasn't her sister? Because it was all for Kaji anyway, wasn't it?

And Denki… her friend, he forced smiles out of her. He made her laugh, and Kasha would admit that when he did, her internal misery was nowhere near her mind.

What power a good natured stranger could have.

And Denki could tell, he could tell Kasha was nowhere near emotionless, or cold. She hadn't done anything to prove him otherwise, and so he put forth an active effort to make her open up more. That much she could see.

But how could Kasha allow herself to open up again before someone that wasn't her sister? Even if it hadn't been conscious?

 _'All it took was one person, one good natured person, when I've been making my little sister miserable because I can't manage a real smile.'_

Shame, sadness, and self hatred swelled within Kasha's heart. She couldn't believe herself. She disgusted herself.

But Kasha wasn't sure she could do anything about it.

Because right after Denki came Uraraka, who'd already seen her scars, and by the look the white haired girl had seen in the shorter girl's too earnest eyes, she wanted to "soothe" and "fix" Kasha.

But Kasha wasn't looking to be soothed. She wasn't looking to be fixed, because she was far from broken.

She had a purpose, and her long sleeves and mask would remain until it was fulfilled.

 _'The least I can do… is leave this mask on until I see Kaji again.'_ The teen thought. _'She's the only one that can see a real smile.'_

Kasha wouldn't suppress herself before Kaji, like she did to everyone around her. Sure she didn't push them away completely, but she did keep them at arm's length. She knew it was only a matter of time before others began to notice, but she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.

Though, it was time to digress. To return to the most pressing matter.

Kaji would be the first to see life return to Kasha's full expression. Because Kaji had seen it snuffed out, and it had hurt her the most. Kasha would fix the pain she caused her sister by someday pulling down her mask, and smiling honestly, telling her like she should have from the beginning that, it's okay Kaji.

Even if it wasn't really okay. Even if it never really would be again because their parents were still in the ground and that man took them from them; Kasha would say those words.

"Kasha?" Denki inquired, pulling her from her thoughts.

She turned to look at him, sleepy silver eyes somehow managing to communicate attentiveness.

"Everyone's leaving now." Denki said slowly, as if he was dealing with a ticking time bomb of a person.

Sadly Kasha didn't think that was too far off of the mark.

"Oh?" She answered softly.

"Yeah, lunch is over." He said, motioning for her to follow as he began packing up his trash to toss away later. "What's got you all lost in thought?"

He probably had a hunch, but neither one of them were opening that door. They weren't touching it with a ten foot pole.

"It doesn't matter." Kasha intoned.

It did.

But she never planned for anyone to know how much.

"Okay." He answered agreeably, standing. "Oh, and how about we both chill in the lunchroom tomorrow?"

"What, am I too boring for you?" Kasha retorted blandly.

Denki grinned, comfortably sliding back into their usual banter.

"I mean, not to be a dick or anything, but yeah." He said. "You're so quiet, maybe mingling a little bit will be good for you."

Kasha shrugged as she matched his stride, the both of them making their way into the building.

"I think I creep out most of our classmates." She admitted softly.

"Hm, nope. That would probably be Mineta." Denki waved away, snorting a little laugh. "I mean, I like him, but he's kind of a perv."

 _'Ah, so those comments that little guy kept making under his breath weren't a figment of my imagination.'_ She thought dryly.

"Okay, let me rephrase." Kasha said blankly. "I intimidate them."

She immediately caught his grimace.

"I mean, from what I heard in the boy's locker room… you were pretty brutal in your fight with Tokoyami." Denki pointed out.

"Dark Shadow wasn't really giving me a choice." She said flatly, unsure of how she should feel about the knowledge of boys talking about her while in states of undress.

That's not to say that she hadn't caught some of the girls giggling about how "hot" or "cute" some of the boys were while in her own locker room.

"Maybe you have a point." Her friend offered. "But if you don't try to talk to them they're never going to know they don't need to feel intimidated by you."

She'd said it before and she'd say it again.

"We're not here to make friends."

"We're friends." Denki countered.

Kasha sighed quietly, closing her eyes briefly. That was different. Denki had reached out to her, and she happened to like him, so that had become a thing. Going out of her way to "make nice" was another matter altogether. But she really didn't want to argue about something that wouldn't really require any effort for her to do. Go to the cafeteria, sit down and mind her own business. How hard could that be?

"Fine." Kasha deadpanned. She didn't have to verbally say that she wasn't going out of her way to socialize, that she was only showing up and that was it. Denki obviously read that declaration in her eyes, but he still smiled triumphantly all the same.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement." He beamed.

"Whatever." Kasha muttered.

Denki snickered, and as a result, the small amount of dread she'd been failing to ignore completely didn't seem so ominous anymore.

* * *

After school that very same day Kasha bid Denki goodbye, telling him that they'd walk home together tomorrow since she had something she needed to do.

Everyone, including Aizawa-sensei had left the classroom for the day, excluding Kasha herself and one Uraraka Ochako.

They both stood by the door, facing one another silently before Uraraka finally gathered enough nerve to speak to her.

"Thanks for waiting up." Uraraka mumbled, looking up at Kasha, shifting a little on her feet.

"You wanted to talk." Kasha stated, shrugging.

"Uh, yeah about that… I wanted to say sorry again." Uraraka said, rubbing at the back of her head. "So here goes okay?"

Kasha nodded agreeably.

"Kasha, I'm sorry I overstepped my bounds earlier. Let's start over, okay?" Uraraka said, shoving her hand at Kasha.

The white haired girl blinked, but finally she noticed she was being quite rude and took the offered hand for a firm shake. This was obviously the right move because Uraraka grinned happily, completely shedding her unsure behavior from before.

"Call me Ochako, and if someday you want to talk to me about… _things,_ know that I'll be here." The gravity user said, smiling earnestly. "Because we're friends now, right?"

 _'Friends?'_ Kasha wondered. _'Is it really that easy or am I just overthinking things?'_

"Ochako." Kasha murmured, nodding once. "It's fine, I'm sorry if I seemed overly cold."

The newly dubbed Ochako shook her head and waved her hands about a little frantically, trying to assure Kasha.

"Oh no it's fine! I totally get it, sometimes you just don't want to talk about something." She exclaimed. "Don't worry about it!"

"Hm." Kasha hummed, eyeing the shorter girl thoughtfully.

Kasha wasn't sure what she had expected after their run in within the locker room, but this was a pleasant surprise. Ochako let what happened go, allowing Kasha to do so as well. It was relieving to know she wouldn't be asked again about her scars, no matter if she had no intention of speaking about them and _that day._

"Wow! That was easier than I thought!" Ochako said, laughing a little. "I was really nervous I'd offend you again but you're actually a really nice person under all of that intensity, aren't you?"

Kasha truly had no idea how to respond to that. Luckily Ochako plowed forward so she didn't have to worry about it.

"Well, I definitely want to talk some more with you, but I gotta head home okay?"

"Okay." The fire user shrugged a little.

"I'll see you later Kasha, I'm going to walk to the train station with Deku and Iida." Ochako said.

"Deku?" Kasha echoed.

"Oh!" Ochako brightened, giving one of her little fist pumps. "It's a nickname that Bakugo gave Midoriya when they were kids, apparently they've known each other forever. Deku told me it was an insult, but it gives me 'never give up' vibes, and when I told him that he said it was okay to call him Deku too."

"I see." Kasha murmured.

Personally she knew what it was to be called a nickname she didn't particularly care for, but if Midoriya said it was fine… then whatever.

"See you later okay? Have a good rest of your day!" Ochako chirped, waving happily before bouncing away.

Kasha blinked.

 _'She has a lot of energy.'_ She observed, not for the first time.

The white haired teen slowly made her way off of school grounds, her thoughts wondering again back to the subject of "friends".

At first Kasha thought that having no close connections could only help her in the long run. The teen thought that if she didn't care about anyone, (at least no one anyone knew about, that being Kaji and her aunt), and if no one cared about her, she could pursue her ambition with ruthless purpose. And she still believed this, but when someone actively pursued her friendship, it wasn't so easy to act upon those beliefs. At least, she couldn't do so in good conscience.

Something Kasha often reminded herself of, was that she was damaged, not broken. And Denki was nice, Kasha liked him, she already saw him as a friend. The same could he said about Urara— Ochako, which only proved to Kasha that she wasn't as ruthless as she told herself she was.

The moment someone her age showed her the slightest bit of interest she allowed herself to become deterred from her mission, her purpose. And that, simply just wouldn't do.

 _'We just met though.'_ Kasha tried to reason. _'It's too early to be making calls like that. I think I… I think I just missed positive interaction with people my age. But, that doesn't mean it has to be anything other than that, right? I barely know Denki and Ochako, nothing says I have to become attached to them.'_

At least not deeply. Kasha would continue to pursue her purpose, that was a given, but nothing said she couldn't have a few positive relationships while she did so.

 _'I don't have to blow anything out of proportion.'_ She thought. _'I'll just do what I always do, go with the flow.'_

Being an ass to keep herself isolated was too much effort and honestly not even what she particularly wanted. She wouldn't actively seek out company, and she wouldn't necessarily reject it either. Like most things that didn't have to do with her goal, again, the silver eyed girl would go with the flow.

 _'Yeah, that works.'_

Kasha knew being her same seemingly solemn self would deter some of her classmates as it had done in the past from trying to get close to her, and she also knew now that people like Denki and Ochako actually existed. People that would still try and talk to her despite her unapproachable exterior.

Kasha was okay with this.

She would continue to be okay with this until something proved otherwise to be more effective.

As long as Kasha achieved her goal as endgame, she was fine with virtually anything. Because in the end…

 _'It's all to get rid of_ that man _, and be with Kaji again.'_

* * *

 **Well, that's that.**


	8. Return Home

**To Kamui Fan: Lol someone is actually shipping my trainwreck of an OC with someone? I'm shook. But seriously, I'm glad you like Kasha, always nice to hear I can create a character that people can actually enjoy reading about. I don't think I want to pair her up with anyone though, I feel like I destroy romance plots every time I attempt them. Anyways, thank you for your kind and encouraging words, as well as for the review. P.s, sorry about giving you nightmares and making you cry lmao. Sadly(?) I get that a lot. Hopefully you can continue to enjoy the story though! P.P.S, your guest name made me happy and embarrassed lol.**

 **I don't own MHA.**

* * *

Kasha quietly entered class 1-A and took her seat in the very back by the window. She was a little miffed at previously having to maneuver around the press that had formed a crowd around U.A's front gates, demanding to know what it was like to be taught by All Might. Thank Kami (or Nedzu) that the front gate was extremely high-tech. It supposedly shut out anyone who wasn't a student, staff member, or registered in the school's security system.

Denki was already sitting to her right at his own desk, something Kasha notes after getting settled in her seat.

"Yo." He greeted, his cheek leaned into his palm, a yawn cracking his face in two for a long few moments.

"Morning." Kasha greeted blandly. She was tired because the night before she'd worked three hours past her original shift. Though the boost it would give to her pay check wouldn't hurt her, she still didn't enjoy being low on rest.

Denki's small eyebrows rose in question and he asked, "What's the matter with you?"

' _You mean besides the idiots crowding the front of our school?'_ She thought.

Steadily the last of Kasha's classmates were filtering into the room, and the chatter levels were rising.

Kasha pursed her lips behind the navy blue mask she had donned for the day, absently moving a few free wisps of hair from out of her face.

"Work. I did over time last night." She mumbled.

Denki sat up from his slumped position, looking intrigued, a shine in his gold eyes.

"You have a partime job? Really?" He asked. "Where do you work? I can't imagine you doing anything but helping at a dojo or something."

"I literally told you _yesterday_ that I practice Taekwondo." Kasha deadpanned.

"Yeah, but now that I know I can't see you getting paid for anything other than kicking ass." Denki said, snickering.

Kasha huffed a silent laugh, shaking her head a little as she said, "I work at a café. I'm a waitress."

Her friend's mouth fell open a little and he gaped, blinking.

"That's crazy, I really can't see it." The blonde said. "Just imagining you standing at someone's table with a notepad and no expression is hilarious."

Kasha wondered what he'd think if he knew she worked at a cosplay maid-café and the fact that she didn't wear her mask while on the clock. Though she wouldn't be recognized anyway because her demeanor was quite different at work and she wore makeup to appear older and more elegant.

Kasha didn't care much about not wearing her mask at work since the makeup felt like wearing a different kind of mask. When she'd started out she'd felt silly decked out in frilly maid clothes but she'd gotten used to it quickly enough. The uniform was in no way revealing, just a little… _different_ than the things she usually wore. Besides, it was kind of nice getting to dress up. She spent most of her time off the clock in less flattering types of uniforms in the form of her Taekwondo gi and school uniform.

"If I acted like you're probably imagining at my job then I probably wouldn't still have it." Kasha told him dryly.

"Oh?" Denki challenged, smirking. "Are you telling me you're actually _friendly_ at your job?"

"I'll let you use your imagination for that." She retorted blankly. "You'll never find out where I work anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Eh?" Denki blinked, and then he began pouting. "You're not going to let me visit your job? I thought we were friends."

"That doesn't mean you can loiter at my workplace." Kasha deadpanned. "You'd get me fired and yourself banned for life."

No way in hell was Kasha trusting her idiot friend to behave himself in an establishment employing pretty girls in cute maid outfits. Plus they hadn't even been friends that long, why was he already trying to swing by her job? Jeeze.

"I take offense to that." Denki declared, sniffing imperiously. "I would definitely buy stuff while there. And no way would I do anything to get you in trouble. What do you take me for?"

"An idiot." Kasha quipped.

"Ouch. No hesitation whatsoever." The blonde winced.

The sleepy eyed girl snorted softly in humor and shrugged.

"You cut me deep babe." Denki said, shaking his head. "You cut me deep."

Kasha was about to offer up something more icily scalding in response but was interrupted before she could begin by an unamused voice.

"Okay, enough talk you lot. Class is in session." Aizawa-sensei declared, walking into the room just as the bell rang, silencing any protests that may have flared up.

He had under his right arm a stack of papers.

"Before we start I have some permission slips for you all to take home." He began, counting through a few and handing sectioned up stacks to the first student of each row to pass back. "You may notice that it doesn't tell you where you'll be going, just that you'll be taken off campus tomorrow. That's because we've already emailed and called your guardians giving them details of what this trip would entail. They know what you'll be doing, but you don't because it's a lesson, and us teachers don't want you guys having any unnecessary advantages for what's to come."

Kasha blinked at this, wondering what the trip could be for. Her aunt was the only one the school could contact, but the teen was emancipated anyways, seeing as how she lived alone and cared for herself. But if she needed a signature from a legal guardian then she'd have to drop by her aunt's place.

' _That means I'll see Kaji again.'_ She thought, her silver eyes dropping mournfully to stare at her desk. It'd been a while. She had seen the missed calls on her cellphone lately, and knew that it had been her sister calling from their aunt's house phone.

The simple way to explain this, was because she was afraid. She was afraid to face her sister. One she had never been able to hide from.

Even though Kasha wore a mask, she still couldn't quite hide what she'd become from Kaji.

"This permission slip is just to make sure that your parents are okay with us taking you off campus. Physical proof that they agree." Aizawa-sensei went on, pulling the fair haired teen from her thoughts. "Make sure not to forget them, otherwise you won't be able to participate."

Kasha looked up at the sound of a rustling papers, her eyes meeting the dark one's of Tokoyami Fumikage, who sat in front of her.

He wordlessly handed her the permission slip after taking his own, and she took it with a quiet 'thanks', slipping it into the clear folder she'd stored inside her desk. The bird-headed boy nodded silently and turned back around. Kasha pursed her lips slightly, remembering the day of their first hero training, when she'd whaled on his quirk, Dark Shadow. Tokoyami didn't seem sore about what happened, had even met her eyes, so maybe he'd sorted through whatever hard feelings he'd had at the end of their match.

' _At least I don't have to worry about making enemies out of my classmates.'_ She thought.

Kasha didn't even want to entertain the idea of having to deal with something like that when she was on a mission to see justice served to _that man._

"Now, one more thing you lot." Aizawa-sensei said, calling for attention. "You need a class president."

Kasha might have been a little thrown off about how normal that was, but she was already seeing that U.A was a mixture of things, and that it was probably better for her blood pressure to just expect _everything_. Also, she was still a little distracted by the thought of going to her aunt's house.

"How do we do that Sensei?" Ashido, the pink skinned girl spoke up.

"Don't care, just make it happen and don't take forever." He answered blandly.

' _Helpful.'_ Kasha thought sarcastically.

"We should have a vote!" Iida declared immediately after it was clear that their Sensei was going to be his usual extremely-invested-in-his-teaching-position self.

"That's a good idea." Yaoyorozu said diligently. "If one person comes out with more than one vote, then it's clear they deserve to be class president."

Kasha obviously had no hope of being voted for, if the cautious looks she had received after her match from their first hero training was anything to go by. Not that she actually cared. Being class president was a way to stand out and make her mark, things that she had no desire to do. She knew what her purpose was, and it had nothing to do with more responsibilities that she did not need.

When the whole ordeal was done and the results finally came out Kasha was surprised to see that she had one vote. But when it _clicked_ , immediately Kasha's blank silver eyes bore into the side of Denki's head.

He chuckled a little nervously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, his eyes constantly darting away from her own.

"Not funny." She said simply.

Denki laughed with uncertainty in his tone again.

"I wasn't playing a joke." He said, and even though he looked uncomfortable, his words and eyes were honest. "I think you'd make a good prez. You took charge during our hero training and if not for you I probably would've messed up royally."

Huh, so Denki thought she had leadership qualities. It was nice to know that he sincerely thought that, and besides, it was only one vote, so she didn't have to worry about turning down the position.

"Oh." Kasha said quietly. "Well, thanks I guess."

Denki shrugged, offering her a more comfortable smile.

They both turned back to the front as Midoriya and Yaoyorozu exchanged looks. The freckled boy stuttered to the class about something or other, and Kasha was a little amused to see that the resident cinnamon bun had received the most votes with Yaoyorozu coming in second. He obviously hadn't expected to get any votes, but apparently people had seen something in him. When Kasha thought about the determined face he donned when in his zone, and his keen intellect in battle, she could see why he'd been chosen. (Though Bakugo obviously didn't see what Midoriya's voters had if the small sparks jumping from his palms and his gritted teeth were anything to go by).

Personally, Kasha had voted for Iida. At first she found him annoying, and she kinda still did, but the white haired girl had picked up on the fact that he was just extremely earnest and held everyone to a high standard. He probably would have taken to the position like a fish to water. Unfortunately it looked like she was the only one who had voted for him.

Before she could muse on the subject any longer, things shifted gears again.

"Okay swell, Midoriya is the class representative and Yaoyorozu is the vice. Now get to work." Aizawa-sensei spoke up, pointing to the "Do Now" written on the blackboard.

And that was that.

* * *

"What do you think the field trip is?" Denki asked near the end of class.

Lunch time was fast approaching, and Aizawa-sensei was clonked out in his bright yellow sleeping bag behind his podium. Kasha found her spirits had not been lifted during the monotony of class, rather, she'd simply had more time to stew in her dread and general unpleasantness.

"Dunno." Kasha murmured, shrugging faintly. "Probably more hero training."

"Hero training off campus when we have literal city blocks to train in on campus?" The blonde asked, raising his brows.

"I doubt the only thing heroes have to worry about is doing their work in an urban setting, Denki." She answered, trying to get into the conversation and truthfully falling short. "Can you see us going off campus for anything else? We're heroes in training."

"Hm. I guess you're right, I didn't think of that." He hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

She saw the opportunity, so she took it despite her mood.

"You don't seem to think about much of anything." Kasha said, smirking.

Denki snorted a laugh and gave her a thumbs down.

"Whatever ice queen." He said. "Just don't forget you can't be that mean to the people we're sitting with at lunch today."

Kasha blinked at him blankly.

"Remember, you said you'd sit in the cafeteria with me and some of our classmates today." Denki reminded her, grinning.

"Hm." Kasha grunted.

Ugh. She _had_ said she would, didn't she? Why had she said that again? Now that she knew she needed to drop by her aunt's place for the permission slip and an inevitable reunion with her sister was approaching, Kasha wasn't so sure she wanted to be bothered with human interaction. She'd much rather sit alone somewhere and think about what she would say to her sister when the younger girl asked her questions that she just _couldn't_ answer.

 _Where were you Nee-chan?_

 _How come you don't come to see me?_

 _Why aren't you smiling?_

"Kasha?"

"Hm?" Kasha blinked, her silver eyes refocusing. They'd unfocused while she got lost in her thoughts, and apparently her friend had been talking to her still.

"I said, who do you want to sit with?" Denki repeated, giving her a funny look.

"I don't know anyone, so how would I know?" She asked, simultaneously thinking, _'Preferably no one.'_

"What about Uraraka?" Denki suggested, undeterred. "I thought you guys got along pretty well."

Kasha just shrugged because again, if she was being honest she didn't even want to sit with anyone. At first Kasha had been pretty indifferent to the idea, seeing it as something she could sleepwalk through like most things that she had no real motivation for. But also again, the visit she would be making to her remaining family had her on edge.

"Honestly I think I might want to be alone today." Kasha finally said, the bell signaling the start of break ringing above their heads a moment later.

"What?" Denki frowned. "All of a sudden? Yesterday you acted like you didn't care. What's wrong?"

What could Kasha possibly say without coming off as an ass or over dramatic? Probably nothing, so she just shrugged again and stated bluntly that, "I just don't want to be bothered right now."

"I'm a bother?" Denki asked quietly as Kasha stood up, gathering her things. The white haired teen paused, looking at him with slightly widened eyes.

Denki looked at her seriously, and Kasha stared, floored, because she hadn't seen him look like that before. The teen had of course known somewhere that he was probably capable of meaning business, but it just didn't fully _register_ until he was looking at her like that.

Yikes.

"No." Kasha finally murmured, sighing. Silver eyes detached themselves from a gold pair, instead focusing somewhere over her friend's shoulder. The room had mostly emptied, Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka were talking about something that had gone down during hero training yesterday, so the two polar opposites of Kasha and Denki had some semblance of privacy.

"No, you're not a bother." She reiterated, shoving her hands into the pockets of her school blazer. "It has nothing to do with you or anyone here."

"Then what is it?" Denki asked, his brows furrowing.

"I don't want to talk about it." Kasha whispered, turning away from him, rounding her desk so she could leave the classroom.

"Kasha." Denki called, but she kept walking, her face set in a blank mould.

The teen heard movement behind her, knowing that the last of the stragglers were leaving as well. Ignoring them, Kasha let herself out of the room, holding back a grimace when someone latched onto her right arm from behind.

"Kasha!" Ochako greeted happily. "Wanna eat lunch together? Me, Deku and Iida are heading to the lunchroom."

Kasha looked down at the shorter girl, who blinked up at her with those big earnest eyes of hers.

"H-hello, Yūrei." Midoriya greeted softly, now flanking her left.

At any other time, Kasha may have told him to call her by first name as she had previously, but she wasn't in a very friendly mood. Even so, she noticed that he had removed the "san" honorific from her name.

"Hello Yūrei-san!" Iida boomed from the freckled boy's left. "Are you heading to the cafeteria as well?"

"Yeah Kasha, going to the cafeteria?" Denki piped in from behind her. His tone of voice was genial as usual, but Kasha knew in that moment that he was being slightly spiteful. Not that she could blame him, she'd flaked off on their plans and blew him off in the same duration of time. Though, that's not to say that what he did didn't set her teeth on edge.

"I'm going in, but I'm not staying." Kasha said, subtly shifting away from Ochako. Immediately picking up on the taller girl's discomfort, the gravity user released Kasha's arm as if burned.

The only reason Kasha was entering the lunch room was because she was hungry and hadn't had time to pack a lunch that morning, (having slept in a little because of doing over time last night).

"Yūrei-san, where will you sit for the lunch period then?" Iida asked, not picking up on the girl's darker mood.

"Maybe where I did yesterday." Kasha answered blankly.

"Um, Yūrei, are you okay?" Midoriya asked, uncertain.

"Fine." She said.

"Uh, okay." Midoriya said, obviously not believing her but not calling her out on the lie.

It was because of Midoriya's question that Iida finally noticed that Kasha wasn't at 100%. Kasha could feel everyone except for Denki that she walked with casting confused and worried glances at her. But she ignored the looks uncharitably, knowing that her behavior was making them uncomfortable and souring the atmosphere, but not really caring at the time.

The awkwardly silent group made their way to the lunch room, a large area full of laughter and voices that all jumbled together in a symphony of a peaceful chaos. Most of Kasha's classmates were already seated with their respective cliques with trays of food, chatting amongst themselves. Ashido, Yaoyorozu, Asui and Jiro shared a table. Tokoyami and Shoji shared a table with Ojiro, who was in a conversation with Sero and Sato. Kirishima and Bakugo sat together alone. Not that it was a surprise that no one wanted to sit with Bakugo, aside from Kirishima apparently. Todoroki, Koda, Aoyama and Mineta were nowhere in sight.

"Yo Kaminari!" Kirishima hollered, waving from his spot beside Bakugo, who had been scowling into his food and shoveling it into his mouth with purpose.

"Yo Kirishima what's up!" Denki called back, waving.

Bakugo looked up at the shark-toothed teen next to him, giving him a scathing look at all of the noise he was making.

"Shut the fuck up Hair-for-Brains!" Bakugo snarled. "Why the hell are you even sitting right here? Get lost!"

Kirishima simply looked at the other boy and grinned, laughing off the angry demand with a, "Oh lighten up man!"

"Go play in traffic." Was the enraged retort.

Denki gave Bakugo a goofy grin and thumbs up as he neared their table. "Sup Bakugo."

"Fuck off." The ash blonde growled, moodily returning to his lunch.

"Come sit with us." Kirishima said, somehow already desensitized to Bakugo's atrocious behavior and language, beaming at Denki.

"Sure, as long as Bakugo doesn't murderize me for it." The blonde chuckled.

Kirishima laughed that off as well, even as Bakugo began mumbling irritated curses. Assuming this meant he wouldn't be "murderized", Denki gestured towards the food counter. The redhead nodded and allowed the electricity user to continue on his way.

Kasha ignored the whole thing and took long strides towards the lunch counter where Lunch Rush was whipping out grub at legendary speeds.

The white haired teen grabbed a turkey sandwich, an orange, and a bottle of water for her lunch, Denki, Ochako, Midoriya, and Iida lining up behind her to get their own lunch.

Denki grabbed ramen, as well as Ochako, and Midoriya and Iida got onigiri.

Kasha silently made her way towards the door even though Ochako, Midoriya and Iida grabbed an empty table, sending her imploring looks.

"Hey."

Kasha turned to look at her blonde friend, who stood behind her. The white haired girl stared in silent question.

"Are you gonna be okay?" He asked, looking at her again with serious eyes.

Kasha's gaze darted away. Even after how she had treated him, he was asking her about how she felt. Kasha met his eyes again and she nodded once.

"Yeah." She murmured, but somehow he still heard her over all the noise. "I'm sorry. I'll sit with you and the others another day."

Yes Kasha was going through a little crisis, but that wasn't an excuse to be an ass, and she knew that. Denki shrugged a little and offered her a genuine smile.

"No hard feelings." He told her, and Kasha was privately astounded by the relief she felt at knowing that he wasn't upset with her. They hadn't known each other long, but already she was seeing that he was a much better person than she could ever hope to be.

"Just don't chicken out again, it's not cool." The blonde said.

Kasha couldn't help snorting a little.

"You wouldn't know cool if it bit you on the behind."

"And Tundra Diva makes a triumphant return." Denki quipped, grinning now.

Kasha rolled her eyes, watching as Denki sobered.

"Later Kasha." He said.

"Yeah." She nodded once, turning around. "Later."

Feeling a tiny bit lighter, she left the room and Denki sat beside Kirishima, using the red haired boy as a meat shield against Bakugo's glaring eyes.

Kasha didn't actually go to eat in the courtyard like she had the previous day, instead she sat alone at the end of the hall leading into the lunchroom. There was surprisingly no foot traffic, so she tucked her skirt beneath her so it wouldn't ride up as she sat, crossed her legs, and pulled down her mask. The teen ate her food silently.

Despite wanting to be alone because she wanted to think about what to do when she got to her aunt's house, Kasha's thoughts did not center around what had been the reason behind her plumitted mood.

The silver eyed teen instead found herself thinking back to her conversion with Denki. Or rather, the way she had blown him off in the classroom when she knew he was only concerned and confused.

She'd wait until lunch was over so she could walk back to class with Denki. Even though he said he wasn't upset, Kasha was beginning to feel guilty for the way she had treated him.

Thinking back to the look on his face when he asked her if she thought of him as a bother, something in Kasha's chest and gut twisted uncomfortably.

She sighed softly, pulling her mask back over her lips and nose. The teen had finished her lunch, her orange peels were discarded in the wrapper that had held her sandwich, and her water bottle was half empty. The masked girl stood to dispose of her garbage, but before she could take a single step, an alarm blared overhead.

' _What the—'_

Kasha could hear the explosion of panicked chaos beyond the cafeteria doors, flinching when said doors slammed open and students began spilling out into the hallway. Kasha was immediately lost in the flood. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she told herself to remain calm, to assess the situation.

Before she could do just that, someone's elbow rammed into her left boob. She hissed angrily at the stab of pain that lingered and throbbed even after the person who had dealt it was long gone.

' _What is going on?'_ Kasha thought, lips turning down in a frown as the situation grew steadily worse. It was so bad she felt like she could barely hear her own thoughts.

' _Where are the teachers?'_ Why were they allowing this madness to ensue?

Wait.

Kasha paused, standing still as everyone thrashed and tried to struggle to freedom around her.

No adults had come to stop this yet, so that must mean that it wasn't that serious, right? It could even be a drill, (which they would all have failed at).

There was no way that students would be allowed to panic for such a long period of time if there was something seriously awry. Hell, a pro hero worked in the cafeteria, so there probably wasn't anything to worry about if he hadn't done anything yet.

"Everyone!" A familiar voice boomed, piercing through the chaotic cacophony of cries and babbles.

Startled, Kasha looked up, and she would not be ashamed to admit that her eyes popped wide open for several seconds as she watched Iida drift up. The glasses wearing boy slammed into the ceiling above the exit across the hall.

"Please!" Iida yelled, his arms positioned in that strange robotic fashion that he usually gestured with. "It's the media, only reporters. There is no need to panic!"

Kasha's expression flattened.

Wow.

* * *

After everything was sorted out, Kasha sat in her seat watching Kirishima and Denki tease Iida, chanting "Emergency Exit Iida, Emergency Exit Iida!" while pinwheeling their arms like said glasses wearing boy.

A few of her peers laughed and grinned at the chant, following the two boys' example despite the fact that Iida was blushing.

"No but seriously, that was really manly of you back there Iida." Kirishima said after things calmed down.

"Thank you Kirishima-san." Iida said, ever the good sport.

Catching Kasha's attention, Midoriya stood up from his seat and walked in front of the class, clearing his throat.

"Uh, excuse me, guys?" He called.

"What's up man?" Kirishima asked, grinning.

Midoriya offered a wobbly smile in return.

"I'm stepping down from the role of class president." He said.

Curious at his declaration and change in demeanor, Kasha sat up a little straighter and listened to his explanation after everyone finished exclaiming "whys".

"I don't think I'm fit for the role." Midoriya explained, fiddling with his fingers a little, green eyes roving over his classmates. "So, in my place I'd like to nominate Iida. His actions at lunch— his quick thinking, clear head, and ability to inform the crowd of the situation are qualities I think we need in a leader for Class 1-A."

Huh, so Iida would be class president after all. Well whatever, as long as things worked out she didn't care who had the position.

Midoriya scurried back to his seat after gesturing to the front of the class for Iida to take his place.

"I…" Iida began, looking to Midoriya thankfully. "Thank you Midoriya-san."  
The glasses wearing boy went to the front of the class and bowed deeply.

"I'm grateful and honored to carry this mantle, and I strive to serve you well as class representative."

"Oh yeah!" Denki cheered. "Emergency Exit Iida for class president!"

"Emergency Exit!" Sero whooped.

"Emergency Exit Iida!" Kirishima crowed, raising his fists.

Others clapped and cheered for the diligent boy, but Kasha noticed Yaoyorozu pouting in her seat. Yikes, now that Kasha thought about it, hadn't she been the vice all along, so she should've been the president if Midoriya stepped down?

Eh. Who cared.

Apparently on the same wavelength as her, Aizawa finally spoke up from his position on the floor.

"Yes yes, happiness and all that. I know you lot saw the assignment on the board so get to it."

Kasha looked at him expressionlessly.

Had he seriously crawled from wherever he went off to during lunch back to the classroom in his sleeping bag? What a bum.

Denki slid in his seat, grinning at her. All the excitement had him a little amped, and Kasha couldn't help the way she smiled a tiny smile in return.

"What a day." He said. "And it's not even halfway over."

There was probably something sad about that statement, but Kasha just shook her head.

"Yeah." She returned quietly. "What a day."

* * *

The rest of the day passed with relative normality for a high schooler's day at school.

Kasha had managed to put off her dread for the rest of her time at school, but as soon as the last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, it came rushing back with a vengeance.

The white haired girl stood, running her hands through her pigtails to straighten them out. She had a short shift at the café, a mere four hours, so she didn't have to go straight to her aunt's house, to her slight relief.

After slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and adjusting her thigh high tights she made her way towards the door, where Denki was waiting, throwing out "see you" to people he was already on friendly terms with.

"Bye Kaminari!" Ashido sang, waving happily before skipping away from the classroom, humming a cheerful tune.

"Later Ashido!" He called, throwing up a peace sign.

When he noticed Kasha nearing, he turned to offer her a smile.

"Ready?" He asked.

Kasha nodded and they were on their way, walking side by side down the halls where students were rushing off to do whatever it is they did after school hours.

"So, what are you going to do today now that school's over for the day?" Denki asked.

"I've got work, so that." Kasha murmured. "And then I need to get my permission slip signed."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." Denki said. "You reminded me, I'll have to ask my dad to sign it after I get home from the arcade."

"Arcade?" Kasha echoed, moving little closer to him to avoid someone sprinting down the hall, cackling as another student chased behind them playfully.

"Yup." Denki said. "I'm gonna head there right now. I'd invite you, but you did just say you have work. Plus, you'd probably say no."

Kasha's white brows rose ever so slightly at this.

"What makes you think I'd say no?"

"Hm?" Denki hummed, looking at her in surprise. "So you'd say yes? Wait. Maybe you would, but you'd probably worm out of it last minute."

Kasha grimaced faintly.

"I told you that I was sorry." She said, looking at her feet as she walked, suddenly finding her boots quite interesting. Much more than the shame that had just stabbed her through the gut.

"I know, I'm just giving you crap." Denki said, waving it off. "I'm not mad about that, seriously."

Kasha's lips pursed beneath her mask, still feeling a little down, even if he hadn't meant anything by it.

"Well, next time then. I guess." Kasha mumbled, shoving her hands into her blazer pockets.

"Really?" Denki asked as they finally reached the front doors of the school. Kasha silently stepped through as the blonde held it open for her. "You'll sit with me and the others at lunch soon and go to the arcade to hang out when you don't have work?"

Kasha wasn't sure how she felt about how surprised he seemed by the idea. Honestly she knew she couldn't really blame him. She wasn't exactly socially outgoing anymore, and they were only friends because he was actually putting an effort into getting to know her. Of course she liked him as a person, but that hadn't been enough since her parents died for her to cling to relationships outside of her remaining family.

Usually her blank and unapproachable disposition made people steer clear of her, and she had simply lived with it, not really minding the isolation. Denki was her first friend in about two years, and Kasha was startled to find that she _wanted_ to spend time with him and didn't want him to be upset with her.

Already she had shown him that she was willing to push him and others away, so… his surprise was again, not a shocker.

But, it was time to digress. Even if video games weren't really her thing, because she would be doing it with her friend the idea seemed nice, and Kasha didn't want to miss out on the opportunity.

' _But that's dangerous.'_ Another part of her mind told her. _'That's a distraction from what you've set out to do.'_

Of course in a way it was, but Kasha would never let having a friend stop her from seeing justice served to _that man…_ Right?

' _Of course.'_ She thought, resolute. _'Because what would be the point if I couldn't even follow through with what I've set out to do from the start?'_

Hm, yes. That was right. She knew what she went to U.A for, and having Denki couldn't, _wouldn't_ be a distraction. She enjoyed his company, and that was all there was to it. That would not override her need for reven— _justice._

Though what did that say about her, that she'd be willing to spend time with someone that she met a short while ago, but avoid her own family? Even if the only reason she kept going was because of said family? Because she wanted to be strong enough to protect and stand beside them?

' _Stop thinking about it.'_ Kasha told herself. _'Now's not the time…'_

With that, Kasha pushed those thoughts away for another time, but preferably, (though unlikely) she would like to not muse on such things again.

"Yeah." Kasha finally said. "Yeah, I'll go."

"Cool." Denki said, grinning. "I can see it now. Me kicking your ass at Race Cars and you pretending that you're not super salty because you lost."

Genuine amusement lifted the corners of Kasha's hidden mouth slightly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." She said.

"Oh?" The blonde asked challengingly. "Are you telling me I won't win?"

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Kasha returned, smirking at him with her eyes.

Denki gave her a roguish smile in return.

"I guess we will."

* * *

Kasha had walked to the train station with Denki before they went their separate ways, it was fifteen minutes later when she arrived in the area of her job, Sugar Stop. When Kasha entered, the bell overhead chimed gently.

Sugar Stop was a small café with pink strawberry patterned wallpaper, black tiled floors, black booths with pink velvet seating along the walls, and black polished tables centering the dining area. Towards the back of the store was a counter displaying all types of sweets that the kitchen offered, and a hulking wooden desk sat off to the side, holding a vintage cash register and a stand for their cute strawberry patterned business cards.

Camie, a girl with straight, fawn-colored hair that fell just below her shoulders and dark brown eyes stood behind the register in her own personalized uniform. It was a maid dress that accented her curvaceous figure well, complete white a buttercream yellow waist apron tied around her waist and over her tutu-like skirt, which fell to her upper thighs. She also wore black tights, a white lace headband with a fake rose on the side of it the same color as her apron, and white two inch heels.

Behind her there was a doorway with no door, but what lied within was hidden by pink curtains.

When the pretty girl spotted Kasha entering their workplace, her glossy lips shifted into a friendly smile.

"Hey Kasha! I missed you fam, it's been boring af. How goes it?" She called, her bubbly greeting catching the eyes of some of the guests dining around the store.

"Inside voice, Utsushimi-san." Kasha reminded her blankly, rounding the counter and rooting through her bag for her wallet.

"Bruh, never." Camie said, waving away the other girl's emotionless admonish. "I told you to call me Camie. We're cool, right?"

"Yeah, but you still need to use an inside voice." Kasha replied blankly, pulling her wallet from her bag and opening it to find her clock in card.

Once she found the black card with a pink strawberry printed across it as well as bubbly kanji reading "Yū-san", she stuck it into the top slot of the small device mounted on the right side of the doorway leading to the back of Sugar Stop. The screen lit up and flashed, _Yūrei Kasha has clocked in at 3:30 pm_ across its screen.

"I guess, but don't be such a party pooper." Camie said, pouting a little before she quickly laughed. "We've worked together for like a year and a half now, when are you gonna chill out?"

"I chill out when not on the clock." Kasha deadpanned. "Also, don't say my real name in front of guests. We have aliases here for a reason."

With that, Kasha brushed aside the pink curtains leading to the kitchen before stepping through. Sugar Stop's kitchen also had a pink, black and white theme going on, and the three cooks that manned the area were hard at work, a trio of women in their mid to late twenties that were always kind to the waitresses. They looked up at her appearance and smiled, waving. Kasha nodded in acknowledgement before she moved passed them towards the back that held the employee lockers.

The lockers were wall to wall, and at the end of the hall was a closed door that held the boss' office.

Maybe Kasha could've said what she had to Camie in a less rude way, but she hadn't really been trying to be rude, just blunt. What she had said wasn't wrong though. Everyone that interacted with guests had aliases at Sugar Stop, because maid cafés usually attracted the occasional weirdo, and not giving out one's given name just kept employees that much safer.

Kasha had seen first hand what some people were willing to do when they had an obsession with an individual, and she would much rather not have to face something so horrifying ever again.

Kasha opened her locker, which contained her personalized uniform. She quickly disrobed and donned the garment, a black maid dress with long sleeves that ended with white cuffs, a knee length bell skirt with white ruffles at the end, a white apron with frills on the straps, and at its hem, as well as a large bow that tied at her back. Kasha also wore a black velvet choker to hide the gruesome scar across her throat, her usual black thigh high tights, and shin high black boots with white soles.

She made sure that she had a couple of pens in the right pocket on the front of her apron, and a small notepad in the left pocket for orders. With that done, she freed her hair from her odango buns, redoing it in a loose and thick braid that she draped over her right shoulder. Quickly she went back into her locker for the fluffy white hand pouch that contained her makeup.

Using the mirror on the inside of her locker door, she applied eyeliner and a sky blue eyeshadow to her eyelids. She finished it up by adding transparent pink gloss to her lips and faint shimmer to her cheeks.

With that, Yūrei Kasha became Yū-san, a part time waitress at Sugar Stop. The teen shoved her school bag and uniform into her work locker and shut it, leaving the back and making her way back to the pink curtain leading to the sales floor. The white haired girl paused before the curtain to center herself.

Kasha took a deep breath, allowing a small serene smile to settle on her bare face. The expression and her attire completely shifted the usual air she gave off into something that most wouldn't recognize.

' _I wonder what Denki would do if he saw.'_ She thought humorously. _'Probably just stare and start throwing out horrible pick up lines.'_

With those thoughts lifting her spirits a little, Kasha exited the kitchen and walked up behind Camie, who's alias on the floor was "Cami-chan".

The fawn haired girl turned as Kasha approached her left. She didn't seem sore about the way Kasha had spoken to her a little while ago, but then again, Camie didn't seem to take much of anything seriously.

"Man," Camie began, giggling. "I'm never going to get used to you transforming into Mother Teresa in the span of ten minutes."

"Cami-chan, I don't believe Mother Teresa would have worn a maid outfit." Kasha said patiently, giving the shorter girl a calm smile.

"See?" Camie said, gesturing to her and laughing. "Dude, that's so crazy how you do that."

"Please don't tease me Cami-chan, I don't know how to react." Kasha murmured kindly, seeming to only amuse the other girl even more. "I'm heading out to do a floor sweep, please take care up here."

Offering Camie, (who was snickering delightedly behind her hand) a polite bow, Kasha excused herself.

Maybe Kasha should have been offended at basically being called out as fake, but well… she _was_ fake. She was nowhere as peaceful and delicate as she behaved while playing her "Yū-san" persona. But hey, from the get go her boss had told her that they weren't really looking for someone who would turn guests to ice with a look so… she'd created a work personality.

Well, more of a mindset so that she didn't unintentionally offend anyone. And it had worked, because she often got really great reviews for her customer service, and she had even attracted regulars that visited not only for the food, but to actually interact with her.

Gliding across the buffed tiled floors, Kasha periodically asked customers how their food was and if they needed anything. If they needed anything that was within her power to help with she did so with the same serene expression that was the basis of her Yū-san persona.

After Kasha had been on the clock for three and a half hours and guests had come and go, the bell over the door chimed again.

Kasha, who stood at a booth with a sanitized hand towel to wipe off any mess left behind, looked up.

"Welcome back Master." She greeted sweetly, bowing to the tall, muscular young man with shaggy, dark brown hair that was sticking up in all directions atop his head. He wore a spiffy school uniform, black high top sneakers, and looked at her with warm brown eyes and a cordial smile.

Kasha watched as his cheeks took on a faint pink hue, as they often did when he interacted with her.

He reached up, rubbing at the back of his head sheepishly.

"I told you to call me Yo, Yū-chan." He said, approaching the table she'd finished wiping down.

"That would be inappropriate Master." Kasha told him, batting her long white lashes at him, inwardly chuckling when the rose in his cheeks burned red-hot. "I am a humble maid, and should behave as such."

She knew it was mean to mess with him like that, but she knew his tiny crush couldn't have meant that much to him. From the few friends he had allowed to follow him to the café previously, Kasha had learned that he would have said something if he was serious about her. Not that she would agree to see him or anything, but he had admitted that he just found her really pretty, and didn't really want anything from her.

"I don't see the harm in you calling me by name but okay, I guess." He mumbled. "For now."

Instead of acknowledging that last part, Kasha gestured with one hand to the table she had cleaned.

"Thank you for understanding Master. Will you be sitting here today?"

"Sure." Yo said, sliding into the empty booth and picking up one of the laminated black menus set out for guests. He opened it, looking over the elegant white kanji printed across its surface and a few pictures of offered food.

"This menu is new." Yo spoke up, tilting his head a little as his eyes slid over the print.

"You are correct," Kasha murmured, dipping her head slightly in acknowledgment. "My boss has been musing over new product ideas for quite some time. They decided to go through with the changes and the new menu was printed a week ago."

"Huh, I guess that makes sense." Yo hummed, his eyes finding Kasha's silver ones. "I've been busy lately getting ready for the new school year, and now that I've started, I've had even less free time."

"I admire your diligence Master." Kasha said, offering him a slight, sweet smile.

Yo's cheeks, (which had calmed down after he read through the menu) flushed again.

"I-it's nothing." He waved off, voice cracking slightly. Kasha's indulgent smile threatened to become a smirk, but she controlled herself.

"What shall I get started for you Master?" She asked warmly, as if nothing had happened.

Seemingly relieved by this Yo answered with a quick, "Uh, probably the omurice. But can you be light handed with the ketchup? Also one of those new strawberry shortcake teas."

Pulling her little notebook from her apron pocket, as well as a pen, she scrawled the order out.

"Of course, it should be out shortly Master."

"Thanks." Yo said, closing the menu and placing it back on the table.

Kasha bowed and glided away from his booth, feeling his eyes trailing after her. She took the order to the kitchen and handed it off, leaving shortly after.

Camie smiled at her suggestively when she returned.

"Ooh, that hot guy came back to see you, that's cute fam." She gushed, at least having the grace to speak somewhat quietly. "Why don't you give him the time of day? I'd deadass ghost _lip gloss_ to have guys fall all over me like they do for you."

Kasha absently wondered if lip gloss was something worth giving up in exchange for something else as she let her facade momentarily fall and she answered with, "They do not fall over me. And he doesn't want me to give him the time of day, he only thinks I have a nice face."

Camie's glossed lips puckered in what Kasha assumed was a thoughtful frown.

"Nah, never sis. Every time that guy comes in here he goes from confident and sexy to starry eyed and dopey." She said. "How can he not want you to go out with him? Plus, how can you _resist?_ Baby boy is adorable like that."

"Who cares." Kasha muttered, faintly rolling her eyes, (which she got away with since her back was to the guests). "I'm not looking for a fling or what ever you have going around in that strange mind of yours. I work here for a wage, and that's it."

Camie stared at her for a moment, and the she was smiling again and shrugging.

"Well, that's Kasha for you I guess." She said fondly.

"I'm Yū-san right now Cami-chan." Kasha chided gently, snapping back into her persona so quick she wasn't surprised to see Camie do a double take.

"Uhh, right. My bad." Camie said, and then she laughed again. "There you go with that act again. You are something else."

Any other time Kasha would have shrugged. But for the time being she simply got back to work, "gently" requesting her coworker do so as well. After a while Kasha brought Yo his food, and she went back to check up on him when he was a little more than halfway done.

"How is your food Master?" She asked politely. "I hope it's to your liking."

"Hm? Oh, yeah it's great. It was even easy on the ketchup. Thank you for that." He said, wiping his hands with a napkin.

"It is my pleasure to be of service." Kasha answered demurely.

The tall young man nodded at her response, and they looked at each other for a short moment before Yo suddenly asked, "Hey, Yū-chan, can I ask you a question?"

Kasha blinked for another short moment, but she simply dipped her head in confirmation and answered with, "I will do my best to answer."

"Uh, it's a little personal, but nothing weird, I swear." Yo said quickly.

"Hm?" Kasha hummed, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly.

"I was just wondering, what do you do when you're not at work?" He asked carefully, as if he didn't want to creep her out.

"Hm? Well, I attend high school, and I have a few hobbies." Kasha said honestly.

"Really?" Yo seemed interested by this, and Kasha wondered if maybe she should have politely brushed off his question. "Where do you go to school? I'm a first year at Ketsubutsu Academy now."

' _Hm?'_ Kasha thought. _'That's a pretty good hero school. I wonder what he would think if he knew "Yū-chan" goes to a hero school too.'_

"It may come as a shock, but I attend U.A high." Kasha said modestly, offering him a small smile. "I am also a first year."

Yo blinked at her, and then he gaped a little.

"The #1 ranked high school for heroics? Wow, you must be crazy smart."

"You're too kind Master." Kasha insisted mildly, bowing in thanks.

"What are you studying, if you don't mind me asking?" Yo asked curiously, leaning towards her in interest.

' _I do mind actually.'_ She thought, outwardly ducking her head bashfully.

"Forgive me Master, I am quite shy about this subject." Kasha murmured.

Yo held up his hands in surrender and waved them about as if trying to placate a distraught maiden.

"N-no don't sweat it. I was getting a little ahead of myself. I'm sorry about that." He stuttered.

Kasha was faintly reminded of her classmate, Midoriya. They had similar hairstyles, and when Yo stuttered like that the two shared a startling resemblance.

"Forgive my impudence Master." Kasha said, allowing her shoulders to slump a little and her lashes to fall heavily over her eyes, appearing truthfully guilty.

"No it's okay, really!" Yo assured her, his voice cracking a little again and his face as red as the ketchup drizzled across his omurice.

Kasha found his eyes, peering at him through her lashes.

"Really?" She asked regretfully.

"Yes!" Yo nodded vigorously.

Kasha's eyes arched closed and she offered him a smile like soft sunlight, wicked glee flaring within her when she heard him choke a little on his saliva.

So maybe she was a bit of a sadist. There was no harm in having a tiny dark side.

"I'm so happy. Thank you sincerely, my Master." Kasha said, snapping back to her patient Yū-san persona lickety split. "Will you be paying cash or credit today?"

Yo stared at her, floored.

He may have noticed that he'd been played like a fiddle. The idea didn't really bother Kasha, it honestly furthered her wicked glee.

As if still in a stunned fog, Yo handed her a sleek green card, and Kasha took the offered plastic with a bow of thanks, returning to the register so that Camie could ring him up. The white haired teen returned to Yo and handed him his card, alongside a receipt and a coupon for a free meal.

"What's the coupon for?" He asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

"I was quite rude by avoiding your question Master, this is an apology." Kasha said softly.

"You don't need to do that…" He began to protest.

"Please accept Master." Kasha pleaded. "And come visit your insolent maid again soon, alright?"

She gave him her trademark, sleepy eyed serene smile, amused at his instant flustering as a result.

"Uh. O-okay." Yo answered. "I… I guess I'll see you later?"

"I look forward to it." Kasha returned lovingly. "I'll be waiting Master."

Kasha could honestly say that she had never seen Yo turn quite that red, nor had he hightailed it out of Sugar Stop so swiftly just to hide how embarrassed he was by her.

"Huh," Kasha mumbled, watching the door swing shut behind him. "I guess Camie was onto something. He is kinda cute when he's like that."

* * *

When Kasha's shift ended, the dread that was on the back burner of her mind returned full force.

She was clocked out and dressed once again in her U.A school uniform, free of makeup, and masked. After hair was done up in their odango buns with flowing pigtails, the teen bid her coworkers goodbye. Camie had offered to walk to the train station with her, but Kasha declined as she always did. She didn't want anyone, no matter how seemingly innocent they were to know the general direction of where she or her remaining family members lived. Call her paranoid, but even without interacting much with _that man_ , he'd still managed to track her down and slaughter her parents.

Kasha sighed faintly, trying to push those thoughts away, as well as the blood soaked memories attached to them.

After a long ride, the sun was setting, pink, orange, and gold splashes of color bleeding across the calm skyline. The teen exited the train when her stop arrived, grimly making her way out of the busy station.

Kasha's aunt lived in a large condo with four bedrooms, at the very top of a sixteen story building near the center of the city, though she also owned a house near the mountains, as she somewhat preferred more nature set areas. The teen's aunt pretty much only lived in the city to make sure Kaji could go to elementary school, keep and eye on Kasha, and be able to get to her office within the Union Affairs HQ.

Kasha entered the condo building at last after a long walk consisting of shifting past strangers crowding the sidewalks and ignoring the occasional pick lines. The building housing her aunt's condo seemed to mostly be made up of glass from the outside, giving the whole place a very swanky air.

Kasha walked up to the security desk and flashed the permanent visitors pass she kept in her wallet to the guard half snoozing behind said hulking structure. The man waved the masked teen off and she was on her way, the soles of her boots clip clopping on across the polished marble flooring. After a few moments the teen found herself pressing the call button for the elevator.

Kasha waited, trying to calm her pulse, which sped up ever so slightly as she drew closer to her family.

Kasha entered the elevator, and when it reached the sixteenth floor and _pinged_ , double doors sliding open, she stepped out onto the immaculately clean cream carpet making up the flooring of the white halls beyond. The teen's booted feet carried her to the stark white door with a silver plaque reading "1616" across it.

With a deep breath, Kasha attempted to center her emotions. There was a key word in that statement, and Kasha tried not to think about it as she exhaled loudly.

The teen reached into her bag for her keys, knowing that she would find the key to her aunt's apartment attached to the chain.

Kasha ignored the way her hand trembled ever so slightly as she pulled out the key, missing twice as she attempted to insert it into the locking mechanism before her. She twisted it until it clicked, and let herself into the condo.

The entryway floor was shiny white tile, a few neatly set aside shoes catching Kasha's eyes. Her throat closed up slightly when her silver eyes found a small pair of blue mary janes, Kaji's favorite type of shoe. The teen blinked away the sudden cloudiness in her eyes, swallowing thickly and bending down to undo her boots and pull them off. She neatly set them next to her younger sister's shoes, and then pulled off her school bag, placing it on top of her boots. The teen turned back around to lock the door behind herself.

The condo smelled fresh, like wind and spring trees, the preferred air freshner of her aunt.

In only her black thigh highs Kasha turned around, flinching sightly when she saw her aunt standing at the end of the entry hall, arms crossed and dressed in a simple blue sun dress with bare feet.

Kasha's aunt was a pretty woman in her early thirties with blue eyes, and long blonde hair that was mostly combed back save for her bangs, and an average height of five foot five, an inch shorter than Kasha herself.

She was Ryuko Tsuchikawa, also known as Pixie-Bob of the Wild, Wild Pussycats, but to Kasha as the younger sister of her father, and her aunt. Her aunt who did not look happy with Kasha to be dropping in out of the blue after several months of ignoring her and Kaji.

The last time the teen had seen her younger sister and aunt Ryuko was a few days after her middle school graduation, when her aunt forced her to go out shopping for a graduation gift. A nice outfit that still had the tags attached to it in the teen's closet.

"It's been a while, you brat." Ryuko greeted blandly, so unlike the energetic heroine Kasha was used to seeing.

Though could the teen blame her? Quite honestly the answer was no. It was a wonder the pro hero had allowed her niece to avoid her and Kaji for so long. Kasha had honestly expected her aunt to drop by at her apartment at some point, demanding to know what her problem was.

Admittedly Kasha had been caught up with preparing to enter U.A, as well as doing well once she'd gotten in. She'd also been drowning in angst about showing her pitiful self to Kaji, despite the fact that the younger of the sisters had called her cell phone several times over the months.

"I… know." Kasha answered lamely.

Ryuko did not look any more impressed by this response than she did with Kasha randomly stopping by. Though, it wasn't really random. And how horrible was that? Kasha visited the only family she had left when she needed something from one of them.

' _But I have a real reason for staying away.'_ She told herself. _'I'm trying to get stronger...'_

Kasha flinched again when Ryuko's face twisted angrily and she stormed over to the teen. The silver eyed girl's eyes were wide when her aunt reached her in a few short seconds and she reached up. Despite all of her previous martial arts training, Kasha had absolutely no time to react as her aunt snatched her by her right ear, twisting it about mercilessly. The resulting pain was almost hot, and it immediately had Kasha's masked face scrunching up.

"Do you have _any_ idea how worried and upset Kaji has been young lady!?" Ryuko shrieked. "Or me for that matter? Where have you been!"

"Ow!" Kasha squeaked, stumbling and trying to follow after her aunt as she dragged her about by her _ear_ of all things to punish her, attempting to alleviate some of the stinging pain.

Finally Ryuko released her niece, satisfied with the pain she'd dealt, placing her fists righteously on her hips and harrumphing when Kasha cradled her throbbing ear with her hand.

Kasha's eyes had welled up with wetness from the strange pain of having her ear pulled, but she blinked it away easily enough, looking at her aunt with cautious eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She muttered. "Time got away from me. You know I got into U.A. It's the number one hero school in Japan."

"That is not an excuse for not even answering our calls young lady." Ryuko refuted, shaking her head. "There is no excuse for that, so don't you do it again, you hear me?"

Kasha straightened up a little bit, muttering under her breath about overzealous aunties.

"What was that?" Ryuko asked sweetly, devils in her eyes.

Kasha suppressed a shudder.

"Nothing…" She mumbled obediently.

"That's what I thought." Ryuko chirped, doing a complete 180. Kasha wasn't even affected, she knew her aunt.

"Now," Ryuko began, giving Kasha a softer look that did funny things to the inside of her chest. "I've missed you, brat."

Kasha sighed, looking down at her stocking clad feet.

"I know." She said.

"And what kind of response is that!?" Ryuko yelled, diving at the white haired teen and forcing her into a headlock, grinding her fist into the girl's temple.

Kasha grimaced deeply and struggled to get away from her fiery aunt. Much to Kasha's exasperation, this went on for quite some time until...

"Aunt Ri-ri?" A sweet, childish voice rang out, freezing both Kasha and Ryuko in their tracks. "What's all that noise?"

Ryuko released Kasha as if the teen had suddenly activated her quirk, holding her hands up like the cops had made her drop a weapon.

"Uh, Kaji, I'm sorry sweetheart did I wake you up from you nap?" The pro hero asked nervously.

But Kaji didn't even acknowledge her after she'd seen who exactly Ryuko had been yelling at.

"Nee-chan…?" Kaji began, sounding hurt. And Kami, it was like being stabbed. If the knife was a jagged blade of guilt inserted and twisted about mercilessly.

"Kaji." Kasha greeted, her arms hanging at her sides like useless dead weights.

The teen stared at the younger sister who she loved like no one else. The one who had motivated her to better herself and be someone she could be proud to call "Nee-chan".

Kaji was a young girl with hair the same blonde as their aunt's and deceased father's, only it shifted to white midway to its ends. She had the same shade of silver eyes as Kasha, the same apparent white lashes, but her ears were much pointier. She was dressed in a light blue pinafore dress over a white T-shirt and knee high white socks. She wore her hair in odango buns, but the buns were pointed and the pigtails much fluffier and curled at the ends than Kasha's.

Kaji's silver eyes welled visibly with tears that almost instantly spilled over. Kasha's battered heart took a silent blow that left her emotions screaming within her.

' _Well what did I expect?'_ She thought depreciatively. _'I left her. I ignored her. No matter my reasons… it hurt her.'_

Kasha had hurt Kaji in her quest to protect her, to express her love in the best way by becoming someone strong who could protect her in the future and smile honestly for her sake.

"Nee-chan…" Kaji said again, her voice trembling. Her little hands balled up into fists, and her face scrunched up as she failed to suppress her tears. "Stupid… _stupid_ Nee-chan!"

Kasha watched, her heart screaming at her as Kaji whirled around and ran further into the condo. A moment later the slam of a door pierced the large space, followed by hollow silence.

Kasha looked down at her feet again, unblinking and lost.

A long few moments passed like that, and the silver eyed teen felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She didn't resist when it moved her, gently making her face her aunt Ryuko. Kasha didn't meet her eyes, but this only prompted the older of the two to take Kasha's masked chin in her free hand and steer her head in her direction.

Kasha had no choice but to meet her aunt's kind blue eyes, a pair of eyes that looked just like her father's had.

The teen's own eyes stung, but she refused. She _wouldn't_. She didn't deserve to indulge herself like that, so she willed the sensation away.

"Kasha." Ryuko spoke softly, using her niece's real name, further alluding to how serious she was. "Have you learned something?"

Kasha's lashes fell heavily over her eyes in shame, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact.

Learn? Well, of course. Sometimes even with the best intentions, you hurt the ones you loved, and though you could tell yourself that it was worth it in the long run, facing the consequences of your actions was always harder than imagining them.

But what could Kasha do? _That man_ was still out there. If she didn't focus as much as she could on becoming stronger to see justice served to him, if she didn't push herself to grow into a better person, how could she ever show Kaji an acceptable face again?

' _What can I do?'_ She wondered, despondent.

Ryuko sighed, and Kasha hadn't seen the woman so weary since she stood dressed in black at the funeral of her older brother and her sister in law.

"Go to her." Ryuko murmured, releasing the teen.

Kasha's lips pursed a little beneath her mask, watching the hopelessness in her aunt's sky blue eyes grow more apparent. Not wanting to cause the woman any more stress, Kasha nodded.

"Okay." She said quietly, dragging herself down the cream carpeted hall. The condo was a large expanse of space with earthy furniture and landscape paintings decorating the walls alongside pictures depicting happier times of the Yūrei-Tsuchikawa family.

The kitchen was a sleek chrome-like setting with a stylish granite island and stools, and the far side of the hall was a wall sized window looking out over the busy cityscape beyond. Kasha bypassed all of this and made her way towards the rooms on the left hand side of the condo.

The teen shoved her hands into the pockets of her blazer as she padded down the picture decorated hallway, her mournful silver eyes were on the white door at the end of the hall with cute pink and blue bubble stickers reading _"Kaji-chan"_ decorating it.

Kasha had helped Kaji put those stickers up when she helped move her sister into their aunt's condo two years ago.

The teen's heart twisted at the memory, seeing flashes of her sister covered in puffy alphabet stickers and a few stuck in her own hair.

Kasha shook her head to clear her thoughts as she reached the door. The teen didn't hesitate to pull her right hand from her pocket and knock. The dread she had been feeling all day was but a memory. The bandage had been ripped off at the sudden reunion with her younger sister.

Kasha hadn't had time to last minute prepare herself to see Kaji again. And maybe that was better. If she had no time to come up with a way to placate her sister she would be more honest. And that was good, because Kasha didn't want to be dishonest with her sister.

Even if she didn't tell Kaji exactly why she did the things she did, (enter U.A, keep her distance...), she could at least tell her sister that it wouldn't always be that way.

She could be honest by telling her that one of the reasons why was because she _cared._

Kasha knocked again when she heard no response.

"Go away!" A tear warbled cry came from within, muffled by the door, the barrier put between them.

Kasha bit her lip. She hated it when Kaji cried, and it was even worse now because she was the one who'd driven her sister to tears.

The teen felt like scum.

"Kaji," Kasha began, soft, soothing. "I… I'm coming in, okay?"

"Go away, stupid Nee-chan!" Kaji yelled.

Ignoring the teary demand, Kasha twisted the knob and let herself into the room. It was themed like a pastel galaxy, a more pink and blue version of Kasha's own room.

Kaji was laying face down on her bed, her face shoved into a cloud shaped purple pillow, arms buried beneath it. The seven year old didn't look up at the sound of Kasha ignoring her demands.

With a regretful sigh, Kasha softly closed the door after herself and padded across Kaji's pink carpet.

Kasha's eyes flitted over the cutesy decor, landing on a picture on her sister's nightstand. It was the same picture as the one on Kasha's own nightstand. It was from when Kasha and Kaji had been taken to the beach by their parents, their mother, a beautiful woman with stark white hair, silver eyes, and white cat eats on top of her head grinned happily at the camera as she cradled a giggling four year old Kaji in her arms. Their father, a man with blonde hair and kind blue eyes stood with his arm slung around his wife's shoulders, his other around an eleven year old Kasha who smiled indulgently at the camera.

They'd been so happy…

Abruptly, Kasha ripped her eyes away from the photo, as well as the agonizing nostalgia it caused to swirl within her.

The teen perched herself on the edge of Kaji's bed, sitting near her sister's waist.

"Kaji. I'm sorry, okay?" Kasha said, twisting so she could place her hand on her sister's shoulder. She tried to tell herself she deserved the stab of pain she felt when Kaji shrugged her hand off aggressively.

Kasha retracted her hand, placing it in her lap with her other one instead.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Kasha went on, speaking in soft, dispirited tones. "I just, I've been busy. I know I should have visited you, but I need to get stronger. The school I go to now, it's going to help me get strong, so I can protect you. You understand, Kaji? Nee-chan is so very sorry for hurting you. I… I never wanted to, I was just trying to do what's best for you."

Kasha squeezed her eyes shut when silence answered her, praying for strength she didn't yet have, because it hurt. It hurt that Kaji wouldn't talk to her.

' _But isn't this how she felt, when I ignored her calls? When I didn't come see her?'_ Kasha thought, biting her lip again, using the sharp sting to center herself.

The teen's shoulders slumped, and she abruptly stood up, her back still to her younger sister.

"I'm sorry Kaji." She said again, useless.

Why was Kasha always so fucking useless? Why was she always apologizing instead of just being _better?_

The teen's fists clenched at her sides, and she rushed towards the door, running away again because she was just too weak. She was too pathetic, she just… _couldn't_ anymore. Not at that moment. Not yet.

Someday. Someday it would be better, right?

" _Stupid!_ "

The scream stopped Kasha in her tracks, her hand millimeters from the door handle.

"Why are you leaving again?"

Kasha didn't turn around, but she immediately noticed that her sister's voice wasn't muffled by a pillow. She noticed that Kaji sounded close to fresh tears.

"You're a big dummy, Nee-chan." Kaji exclaimed, bursting into tears, her next words choked off by sobs that she didn't even struggle to suppress. "You always leave. You don't hug me, or pat my head, or play with me anymore. You don't smile at me! You keep talking about being a hero, b-but I don' want you to be a hero. I want you to be _here!_ "

Kasha stared with wide eyes at the door before her, her hand still stretched towards the knob as her thoughts slammed around in her brain, reprimanding her.

' _What have I done?'_ She thought, listening to the sound of her sister's loud cries.

Kasha turned around in a blur, flinging herself towards her sister's bed. Kaji was sitting up, rubbing at her bloodshot silver eyes that gushed an unrelenting flood of sorrow. Sadness that _Kasha_ had loaded onto her heart.

What was the use in being strong enough to protect her sister if she was miserable? What kind of life was that? Safe but lonely? Healthy but despaired?

' _Oh Kaji…'_

Kasha lifted her sister with no effort at all, seating herself on the the seven year old's comforter and cradling the child in her lap. Regret roared through the teen's being when Kaji immediately clung to her, as if she was starved of affection.

God, Kasha was always fucking something up. She was always destroying things because she had no idea what she was doing, walking around as if she did.

Kasha's voice cracked when she shushed Kaji, squeezing her lovingly and rocking her back and forth.

"I know, I know." Kasha whispered, struggling to hold back her own emotions. "I know sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"Nee-chan!" Kaji whimpered, pressing her face into the side of her sister's neck, soaking the material of her mask with her tears.

Kasha stroked her sister's hair as she rocked her back and forth, trying to sooth the child's pain.

"I m-missed you, stupid Nee."

"I know baby." Kasha choked, placing her cheek on top of her sister's head and hugging her ever closer. "I know."

"Nee-chan…" Kaji's voice broke again, and she clutched at the front of her sister's uniform fiercely, as if afraid she'd leave her any moment.

"I missed you too." Kasha whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, because they just _wouldn't stop_ threatening to shed tears. They wouldn't, so she refused them by shutting her eyes.

"I love you Kaji." Kasha said, pressing a kiss to the top of the child's head and resting her cheek against it once more.

"I love you, I'm sorry."

* * *

Ryuko stood outside of Kaji's bedroom, her hand clamped over her mouth as tears streamed silently down her face.

She let her hand fall away from her lips, looking up to the ceiling as if she could find the answers to her family's plights there.

"Onii-san. How do I fix this?" She whispered. "What would you do?"

Of course there was no answer, because her big brother was dead. He'd been dead for two years, and he was never coming back. Ryuko knew that. And that _knowing_ , that grim certainty that someone precious was lost forever, that was one of the heaviest parts of the suffering she held in her soul.

The pro hero sighed, closing her eyes mournfully.

Ryuko didn't get the answer to her question, but she knew. She knew she'd simply have to protect those girls, the ones who had become her babies because their parents had been ripped away from them.

But Ryuko couldn't protect them from their pain. She couldn't take it away.

Maybe she'd just have to show them that pain wasn't all there was. That they still had family. That she was there for them, and she could never replace their parents, but she did care and love for them deeply.

Ryuko stood outside of Kaji's bedroom for several minutes, probably nearing an hour before all the sounds in the room gradually lulled into silence.

The blonde let herself into the room, her raw heart melting at the sight of Kasha cradling Kaji against her front as they slept in the child's bed.

Ryuko silently crossed the room, going into Kaji's closet and pulling out a clean blue comforter to drape over the sleeping siblings.

The pro tucked them in and leaned down, pressing a sweet kiss atop both of their heads, soon leaving the room again to allow them rest.

The door clicked softly shut behind her.

* * *

Kasha peeled her eyes open, feeling more well rested than she had the day before, considering then she'd had much less sleep to go off of.

The teen immediately noticed the weight pressed against her side, her mind waking up almost instantly at the strangeness of the situation.

But soon Kasha realized it was just Kaji, softly purring in her sleep as she snuggled her face into her sister's bosom.

The previous day's events returned to Kasha, and she found herself feeling incredibly peaceful at reconciling with her younger sibling. Carefully Kasha extracted herself from her sister's side, quickly tucking the small girl into the vacant warm spot she'd left behind and tucking her back in. Kaji hummed peacefully in her sleep and snuggled close to the warmth. Kasha's heart softened at the sight, and then she turned away, rooting around in her blazer teen grimaced at the rumpled state of her school uniform as her fingers found her cell phone.

The numbers 5:23 am stared back at her.

Yikes, the sun wasn't even up yet.

Kasha left her sister's room, scratching at the back of her head, one of her odango buns half undone and sagging off the side of her head awkwardly.

The teen padded down the hall after silently pulling Kaji's bedroom door shut. She went to the bathroom and disrobed, neatly folding her rumpled uniform for after she got out of the shower.

When Kasha exited the shower, she was surprised to find a pair of sweats and underwear that she didn't recognize.

"Aunt Ryu must've come in here while I was showering." Kasha murmured, drying herself off and pulling on the underwear. She was only a little taller than her aunt, and a little slimmer, but the clothes weren't too big. She'd left Kasha nothing to put on under the sweater, but the teen wasn't surprised because she didn't have much going on up top anyway.

Donned in a baby blue sweatsuit Kasha left the bathroom and made her way down the hall, her bare nose picking up on the smell of cooking bacon.

Kasha reached the kitchen, finding her Aunt Ryuko at the stove, cooking up scrambled eggs and bacon.

She was wearing a white nightgown and her hair stuck up every which way. The pro hero looked up and offered Kasha a sleepy smile. Despite all of her energy during the day, Ryuko wasn't a morning person.

"Morning sleepy head." The woman greeted.

"I think that's my line." Kasha returned, snorting a little.

Ryuko slanted a look at her niece.

"You seem to be in good spirits." The woman observed.

Kasha rolled her eyes, offering the woman an exasperated look.

"You didn't make any noise, but I don't think for a second that you didn't eavesdrop on us yesterday."

Ryuko's face suddenly lit up as she beamed at her oldest niece unrepentantly. Kasha just shook her head and slipped onto a stool on the outside of the kitchen island. Her hair was as dry as it would get and hung heavily down her back, free from any styling.

"So," Ryuko began, looking back up from her sizzling project on the stove.

"So?" Kasha returned, eyeing her.

"Did you _hear_ what Kaji said, or did you just hear it?"

Kasha sighed, looking away from those keen blue eyes.

"Yeah, I heard her." The teen mumbled.

"Good." Ryuko said, a finality to her tone. "I hope I don't have to witness something like that again, since you understand that there are consequences to your actions."

Kasha didn't say anything. Ryuko sighed, and then changed the subject.

"So, your school emailed me a few days ago, about your field trip." The blonde began. "I know that's why you came over here from your self appointed banishment."

Kasha winced. Never let it be said that Pixie-Bob didn't have a way with words.

"Yeah." The teen said, shrugging.

"You left your bag at the door, so I took the liberty of finding the slip and signing it." Ryuko said, much to Kasha's relief. Thank Kami the woman wasn't going to reprimand her more for staying away for so long.

"Thanks." Kasha murmured.

"It's fine." Her aunt hummed.

Ryuko scraped her cooking onto a plate she snagged from a cupboard over head, sliding the plate of eggs and bacon across the island towards the teen.

Kasha mumbled a thanks and then another when her aunt handed her a clean fork from the drawer.

The teen picked at her food, her left cheek cradled in her palm as her elbow rested on the island countertop.

"I'd eat if I were you squirt." Ryuko chimed from the sink, washing the dishes she'd used to cook.

"Hm?" Kasha hummed, looking up at the woman's back. "Why's that?"

"You'll need the energy for what you'll be doing today." Ryuko answered, laughter in her tone.

Kasha's eyes narrowed at the woman's back.

"Aizawa-sensei did say that student guardians were made aware of exactly what would be happening on our trip."

"Mhm, and I'm also sure he told you brats that none of you are getting an unfair advantage. So, I'm not gonna tell you what's going down." Ryuko said, turning around to give her niece a cheerful smile. "You'll just have to be just as surprised as your classmates."

"It was worth a try." Kasha said, shrugging, going back to her food and shoveling it into her mouth.

At least she knew that she'd probably need energy. So the activity was probably physical. But then again, Kasha had thought so from the beginning. Still, it was nice to have her musings confirmed.

"Hey," Kasha called softly once she was finished with her breakfast. "What did you do with my clothes?"

"I put them in the wash." Ryuko answered, finally finishing up cleaning around the kitchen and walking around the island to lean against the side Kasha sat at. "Did you know you take ridiculously long showers? I had time to finish washing your clothes and put them in the dryer before I started your breakfast."

"I usually don't take more than twenty minutes." Kasha said, surprised.

"Yeah, well, this time around you were running on thirty five minutes." Ryuko said, reaching out and pinching Kasha's cheek. "Don't go running up my hot water bill you brat."

"You're literally rich." The teen protested, only to have her aunt's other hand reach out to pinch her free cheek.

"That's a small detail." Ryuko refuted, pulling the teen's cheeks apart. "I still have to pay for that type of stuff."

Kasha rolled her eyes, and she must've looked quite the sight doing so while her face was all stretched out by Ryuko's finger's if the woman's resulting giggles were anything to go by. Thankfully Ryuko released Kasha's face soon after, stepping away. She placed her hands on her hips, her cheerful expression lulling into something the teen didn't really understand.

"You know, you've got a really pretty face." Her aunt said softly. "I miss seeing it under all those clothes you have on these days..."

Kasha's eyes lowered and she turned away slightly. Of course she knew she wasn't ugly, but Kasha's bare face wasn't something she was quite ready to go parading around within the general vicinity of her sister. She still couldn't smile right.

When Kasha was away from Kaji she still wore the mask because it'd become habit, but also because she wanted the first _real,_ uninhibited smile she gave to be something her sister witnessed. Yeah it was stupid, probably all types of dramatic, but it was how she felt, so she was sticking with it.

And also...

"My face isn't the only issue." She whispered, hand absently drifting up and covering the hideous pink scar stretched across her bare throat.

"Kasha—"

The teen stood from her stool abruptly.

"I'm guessing my clothes are probably dry now." She said, not really caring that she was being horribly rude. "I'm going to get dressed so I'm not late for school. Thanks for breakfast and signing my permission slip."

Before Ryuko could get a word in edgewise the teen was rushing off.

Kasha felt her aunt's worried eyes the whole way.

* * *

Fully dressed with the sun making its way over the horizon, Kasha stood at the front door of her aunt's condo with her school bag slung over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until Kaji wakes up?" Ryuko asked for the nth time.

Kasha shook her head.

"I do, but if I wait I'll be late. I left her a note saying I'd see her later." Kasha said. "I told her it was a promise."

Ryuko smiled fondly at that, because she knew Kasha didn't promise anything unless she could and _would_ come through.

"Well, alright then." Ryuko said, sighing dramatically before she flung herself at the teen and hugged her with the strength of a grizzly. "I'll see you soon you little poop."

Kasha gasped as she was nearly crushed, only to be abruptly released and find her masked face peppered with adoring kisses.

" _Ugh!_ " Kasha choked, pushing her frankly _gross_ aunt away.

"Oh stop being so immature and give me a hug!" Ryuko exclaimed between her delighted cackles.

Kasha's masked nose wrinkled cutely.

"I know that you have a thing for young ones but this is just not cool— _OW!_ "

Kasha huffed, reaching up and rubbing at the throbbing area on top of her head where her aunt had slammed her fist down.

"Don't make fun of my age you pipsqueak, I'm eighteen at heart!"

"Eighteen times three maybe." Kasha grumbled.

"Why you little—"

The teen's eyes bugged out and she rushed out the front door, slamming it closed behind herself and sprinting down the hall.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT!" Ryuko screeched.

' _Not a chance grandma.'_ Kasha thought, feeling more elated than she had in a very long time.

Who knew that all she had to do to soothe her melancholy was go home?

* * *

Kasha walked into class 1-A right on the bell.

"The skin of your teeth, Yūrei." Aizawa-sensei droned, miraculously standing up by the first bell behind his desk.

"Sorry." Kasha deadpanned, placing her permission slip on top of the stack she spotted on his desk and making her way towards her seat.

Iida stood up from his seat, adjusted his glasses and chopped his hand at her furiously.

"Yūrei-san, please be more considerate to your fellow classmates, had you been any more delayed we would have to hold back on class!"

"Noted." She answered in a dead tone, slipping into her seat and sweeping her hair to the side so she wouldn't sit on it.

"Wow." Denki whistled in greeting, eyeing her curiously. "Nearly late _and_ you don't have your cute little bumps on your head today? What's the world coming to?"

"They're buns." Kasha said.

Denki smirked at her, knowing that she was annoyed by his teasing. She hadn't gone through the trouble of putting her hair up because whenever she used her quirk the hair bands were incinerated, and if they were going to do hero training off campus more than likely they'd be using quirks.

Kasha just thought she'd save herself the effort.

"Well, you look nice like that." Denki offered, giving her what she was guessing he thought was a sly look. "How about after school we—"

"Kaminari," Aizawa-sensei interrupted, before Kasha could cut him off with something that would have her smirking and her stupid friend grimacing. "What did I just say?"

Denki sputtered.

Some of their classmates laughed at his antics.

Their sensei rolled his eyes heavily before he sighed, irritated.

"Since it's clear that you didn't hear a word I said, I'll repeat myself so you don't somehow mess up the _simplest_ task."

Kasha's friend sank lower in his seat, and she coughed into her fist, masking a small snort of laughter. The gold eyed teen shot her a comically betrayed look that just furthered her amusement.

"Everyone gear up in your costumes and head outside. We've reserved a bus." The pro drawled.

With this, the cases holding their suits were ejected from the walls, and Kasha stood up, Denki following her lead.

"That was kinda embarrassing." He muttered, matching her stride.

Kasha huffed another almost silent laugh.

"You seem to be very good at making an idiot of yourself."

"You are really cold as ice." The blonde said, shaking his head.

Kasha smirked and they parted ways down the hall, heading towards their respective locker rooms.

The white haired teen found a secluded corner to put on her hero suit, the same black bodysuit with a white stripe bisecting the front and back, a thick high collar with four circular silver vents on the front, revealing only her eyes. Her suit had long sleeves, rectangular silver gauntlets that went from her wrists to her forearms, multiple circular vents running down them as well, and thigh high black boots with thick white heeled soles, eight silver circular vents running down the side of said footwear.

Kasha rounded the corner she'd hidden behind, finding that she was one of the first to finish putting on her suit. Ochako was also done, and she waved, bouncing over to the taller girl.

"Hey Kasha!" The brunette greeted, her eyes sparkling excitedly behind her helmet. "What do you think of our field trip?"

"Meaning?" Kasha asked quietly.

Undeterred, Ochako elaborated with, "You know, what do you think's going down? They made us put on our hero suits, so I know it's training but… what kind?"

"Well, they're taking us off campus." Kasha murmured, her head tilting slightly to the side as they walked. "Probably not more battle training. Honestly I'm not sure."

Ochako looked at her.

Kasha stared back.

"I'm happy you're feeling better today." The gravity user said suddenly, flooring the silver eyed teen. As if sensing this, Ochako smiled at her with compassion. "Yesterday you seemed a little down. I don't think a lot of people really noticed, but I did 'cause you weren't… well, _you_ I guess. You seemed like you wanted some space so I just waited until today to talk to you more."

Huh.

That meant that Ochako could read her to some degree. Come to think of it, Denki had let her behavior slide, so he was probably thinking along the same lines as Ochako.

Kasha wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

Being understood in some way, that is. It made her feel strangely exposed.

"Hey, we can just not talk about it. It's totally fine." Ochako assured her, waving her hands about frantically.

"Hm." Kasha hummed, giving the girl a soft eyed look above her mask. "It's fine. And… thanks."

Ochako gaped.

Kasha's brows furrowed ever so slightly in question.

"I didn't see it, but I think you just smiled at me." Ochako said, sounding stunned.

A faint rose dusted Kasha's hidden cheeks.

Why did she have to make it sound like the odds of that were astronomical? Was Kasha really _that_ off putting? Sure, the silver eyed girl would be the first to admit she was kind of socially stunted but… come on.

Ochako's face set in a strangely grim cast, and she clenched her fists in front of her chest in determination as she nodded to herself.

"Right. So… I've decided I'm going to make you smile more often." She declared.

If Kasha had any less self control her mouth would've dropped open.

Instead she blinked slowly as they made their way out of U.A's front doors, towards the front gates across the courtyard where some of their classmates were already standing.

"I'm gonna do my best!" Ochako cheered, pumping her fist.

"Uh." Kasha said.

Before she had to figure out how to string together coherent thoughts again, Iida marched over to them, chopping his hands and telling them to hurry along. Kasha fought back the urge to roll her eyes. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

Finally, after a few more minutes and exhausted sighs from Aizawa-sensei everyone stood outside of the school bus that would take them to their unknown destination.

Iida stood front and center.

"Okay everyone, line up by name and enter the bus in an orderly manner! We are heroes in training, not grade schoolers!"

"Then why the heck are we lining up by name?" Grumbled Jiro, a girl with long earlobes, much to the amusement of Ashido, if her snickers were anything to go by.

Despite this everyone did as the class representative said, only to find out that the layout of the bus made the effort entirely moot.

Iida hung his head in shame as he was teased by some of their goofier classmates and everyone sat pretty much where they wanted.

Aizawa-sensei sat upfront with the driver, shooting a glare over his shoulder to warn his troublesome students not to get into any unnecessary shenanigans.

With that, the engine was started, and so was their journey.

Kasha looked to her right, where Ochako sat chatting animatedly with Midoriya, and then to her left where Denki sat, choking on a bit of laughter at something Mineta said.

The teen let the white noise of her peers wash over her, secretly enjoying the small slice of peace before they were thrown back into the chaos of heroes in training.

* * *

 **A/N: I just want to say, that even if some of the things in this chapter seem random, I usually do things for a reason. *winks***

 **Trivia:**

 **-Kasha's hair is like Sailor Moon's, Kaji's is like Sailor Chibi Moon's.**

 **-Kaji is 7 years old.**


	9. Unforseen Simulation Joint

**Thank you so much for the feedback you guys, I really appreciate it.**

 **I don't own My hero Academia.**

* * *

"Midoriya-chan." Asui, the frog quirked girl called. Everyone was seated on the school bus as it traveled down a long road towards their destination.

"Y-yes Asui-san?" The greenette stuttered a little.

"Call me Tsuyu, kero." Asui corrected before she continued with, "So, I always say what's on my mind."

"O-okay?"

A finger drifted up to Asui's mouth as she stared with those large, solemn eyes of hers.

"Your quirk is very similar to All Might's, kero." Asui said blankly.

Many eyes were drawn by this statement and Midoriya sputtered out half of a shaky denial before Kirishima came to the rescue.

"Huh, y'know you're right Asui. They both have super cool flashy strength enhancing quirks but All Might doesn't hurt himself like Midoriya does. No offense dude."

"No it's okay." Midoriya assured him, and Kasha wondered if she imagined the relief she heard in his voice.

"I suppose." Asui conceded.

"But you know, I really wish I had a flashy quirk like that." Kirishima went on, holding up one of his hands and shifting it to a jagged rock-like texture. "My hardening is pretty strong but it's really plain."

"N-no!" Midoriya shook his head a little, offering an earnest little smile. "I think your quirk is really cool Kirishima. It's really versatile, I think you'll be a great pro hero one day."

"Thanks, man. That's really manly of you to say." The redhead smiled.

"My navel laser is both strong and flashy!" Aoyama butted in from his seat, wearing his ever present V-like smile. "Tis the perfect quirk for a beautiful future pro, no?"

"Yeah, maybe." Ashido snickered with a teasing grin. "If only your tummy didn't hurt when you use it too much!"

Kasha would swear Aoyama's expression had darkened but he didn't actually move any of the muscles in his face. It was actually kind of amazing if she was honest.

"Hey, you guys wanna talk about cool and flashy?" Kirishima exclaimed, looking a little wired as he clenched his fist. "I'd have to say either Todoroki or Bakugo. Their quirks are super manly!"

 _'I wonder what his fixation with manliness is.'_ Kasha thought idly. _'And also what goes on in Aoyama's head with his thing for beauty.'_

"Yeah, Bakugo and Todoroki are pretty heavy hitters." Satou agreed, nodding once.

"Bakugo-chan is too rude to be popular." Asui pointed out bluntly.

Kasha glanced idly at Ochako when she heard the shorter girl snort a little quietly in amusement, even as Bakugo blew his proverbial fuse.

"What did you say Frogger!?" Bakugo roared, shooting to his feet from his lone seat.

"See?" Asui deadpanned, pointing at the blonde without a care in the world.

"You know, it really says something when we haven't been classmates for a full week and everyone knows your personality is another form of steamed sewage." Denki said.

"SAY THAT TO MY FACE PIKACHU!"

"I just did." Denki chuckled.

Kasha looked away even though her mask completely hid the tiny smirk his words got out of her. Everyone then proceeded to tease Bakugo for his atrocious attitude and Midoriya seemed awed by the experience. There was probably a story there.

"Speaking of hero types," Ochako veered off, looking at Kasha curiously. "What kind of hero do you think you'll be? Whatever you do I bet you'll be really popular 'cause you're all cool headed. And oh! Do you have any names thought up yet?"

"Hm?" Kasha hummed faintly, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly. "I guess I can see myself being a rescue hero. But I think I'd prefer to go underground like Aizawa-sensei. I'm not so sure about hero names though."

"What? Are you kidding?" Denki butted in, looking completely incredulous. Somehow Bakugo had managed to reel in his temper. "With a quirk just as flashy as Bakugo and Todoroki you wanna go underground? How would you manage that?"

"Though you may not be able to understand the concept, I for one can be subtle." Kasha offered blankly, unable to stop herself from adding the jab.

It was worth it, watching her blonde friend bristle jokingly and point finger guns at her. She was too focused on the natural banter she had with the electric user to notice the startled looks some of her classmates gave her at her words. Most of them hadn't interacted with her or seen friendly behavior out of her, even if they did notice Denki happily chatting her ear off.

"Uh huh, just go ahead and come for me like that." He huffed, laughing. "You know what, I take it back. You probably could go underground, and you'd have a super edgy name like Ghoststar or Shatterstar."

"You could be my sidekick, Duncebolt." Kasha quipped back.

Denki flushed faintly and began sputtering as their classmates began laughing at him instead. Heck, even Bakugo looked a little smug at Kasha's words.

"You know, you're actually kind of funny." Sero said from across the aisle, catching her attention and offering her a blunt toothed grin as he snickered. "At first I thought you were kinda introverted, maybe even a little intense after our battle training, but if you can get along with Kaminari you've gotta be pretty cool."

"Hm." Was all Kasha offered in response, though that was fine because her friend wouldn't have allowed her to talk anyway now that someone had gotten him started.

"Hey!" Denki exclaimed. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all, Duncebolt." Sero chuckled as he offered up the bold faced lie. Jiro, Kirishima, Ochako, and Ashido outright took amusement from that. Denki shook his head and huffed in good humor.

"This is blatant bullying." He protested jokingly.

"You're only saying that 'cause you're the one everybody's teasing now." Ashido said good naturedly.

"She has a point." Ojiro chuckled.

As Denki denied this and dragged their classmates into more playful banter, Kasha looked back at Ochako, who had gently poked her in the side with her elbow. The gravity user looked at her with kind, twinkling brown eyes. Seemed she was enjoying bonding with their classmates.

"This is nice." She murmured, just for Kasha's ears.

Kasha offered a slight shrug in response, though she did have to somewhat agree.

"Alright you lot." Aizawa-sensei drawled from upfront. "Settle down, we're here."

* * *

Kasha blinked, they were meeting yet another pro hero.

Midoriya gasped where he stood next to Iida. Ochako stood between Kasha and the greenette, and Denki was near Sero and Satou, having went over to them to chat as they made their way into the facility.

"Space Hero Thirteen!" Midoriya gasped. "The honorable and gentlemanly hero who does the best work in rescue scenarios."

"Omigosh I love Thirteen!" Ochako squealed, bouncing a little in place in her excitement. "They're my all time favorite hero! U.A is absolutely the best!"

Kasha was surprised to hear that, but it was interesting to know. Though before she got dragged into listening to Ochako pull a Midoriya and start ranting about the space suited hero, said short adult was whispering with Aizawa-sensei about something or another. It piqued Kasha's interest a little but she was sure it was no big deal.

On a more exciting note they would be participating in rescue training. Floods, fires, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes. Pretty much any natural disaster Kasha could think of off the top of her head appeared to be replicated in the facility.

"This is so cool!" Kirishima exclaimed. "It's like the Universal Studios of Japan!"

"Yeah but Thirteen-sensei said it's the Unforeseen Simulation Joint." Sero pointed out, grinning.

"Hey, it really is USJ." Denki commented.

"Well, let's get started." Aizawa-sensei drawled out for attention, not letting things get anymore off track.

"But before that, I have one point I need to make." Thirteen began. "Or two… or three… maybe four?"

"Just get to the point so the number doesn't get any higher." Aizawa cut in drably.

"Right." Thirteen agreed, sounding a little sheepish. "I'm sure most of you are aware of my quirk, Black Hole. It can suck up and tear apart anything."

Midoriya nodded, muttering a little, "Thirteen has used their quirk to save countless people in all sorts of disasters."

"That's very true." Thirteen acknowledged patiently. "But it is equally true that my quirk can easily kill."

The padded hero paused, allowing that point to sink in. Kasha's mood sombered a little. Part of the reason she hadn't immediately used her quirk _that day_ on _that man_ when he'd had ahold of Kaji was because she had no real control over it and it could easily carbonize them both. It was not a mistake she would make again.

Kasha was well aware of how easily she could kill someone, but these days she wanted to focus on gaining control of her formidable power. So that she never had to see her sister's face twisted with such despair and fear again.

"I know that many of you students have dangerous quirks as well." Thirteen went on. "And perhaps our society's regulation on quirks seems apt enough to keep innocents safe, but we as heroes must never forget that it only takes one wrong move with a powerful quirk for someone to die."

A hush fell over the students, and Thirteen's next words settled somewhere deep within Kasha.

 _"Your powers are not meant to inflict harm. I hope that you leave here today with the understanding that you're meant to_ help _people."_

After a moment the class applauded Thirteen for his words of wisdom, and stars sparkled across Ochako's eyes.

"He's too awesome!" She squealed.

Kasha gave the faintest nod of agreement.

 _'So those are the beliefs of a true hero...'_ The teen thought. _'I can understand them, and even agree, but I wonder how people would feel if they knew my reason for becoming a hero?'_

Before anything else happened and her thoughts could wander off on that familiar tangent, a few of the students including Kasha noticed a swirl of purple tinged black smoke expanding across the plaza beneath the stairs leading into USJ. The white haired teen's brows furrowed ever so slightly.

' _Are they jumping right into the training?'_ She thought.

A figure emerged from the black smog, followed by several more all staring the students down. Aizawa-sensei went on high alert, and Thirteen appeared to tense.

"All of you huddle together right now, don't move!" Aizawa snapped.

Kasha stiffened, her eyes not leaving the figures standing a ways away. One in particular caught her attention, a hulking black humanoid figure with a yellow beak and its brain exposed.

 _'What is that thing…?'_ She thought. _'It is a human... right?'_

What type of quirk made someone look that warped? What was that person capable of? Kasha shivered slightly at the thought.

"Sensei?" Kirishima asked, taking a step towards the top of the stairs. "What's going on? Is this apart of the training? Like the bots from the entrance exam?"

"I told you not to move!" Aizawa barked, ripping his capture weapon from around his neck. "Those are real villains. Thirteen, protect the students."

A pair of glowing yellow eyes had appeared across the blazing black mist that took on a humanoid form, dressed in a dress shirt, suit vest and slacks.

"Eraserhead and Thirteen." A baritone voice acknowledged. "By word of the teaching curriculum we came across yesterday All Might should be among you. But all I see is a bunch of brats. I suppose he's had yet to arrive."

Kasha's silver eyes darkened.

Because she could see it. The _intent_ in their eyes. They wanted to cause harm, they wanted to kill. And that was quite enough. Nobody had to make a move before a switch was turned on in Kasha's mind.

Silver eyes narrowed, glowing ever so slightly as her body warmed, threatening to fully activate her quirk.

' _These people…'_ She thought sharply. _'True villains.'_

And with this realization, even if she wanted to, Kasha couldn't help seeing _that man_ in every single one of them. No matter where she looked, _that man_ menacingly stared back, threatening to take, to hurt, to maim, and to _kill._

"Over my dead body." She quietly snarled. She didn't react when she felt Ochako nervously take hold of her right arm.

A gangly man with mussed sickly blue hair stepped forward, his black garbed body adorned with what appeared to be severed hands, including one that obscured his face.

"Yesterday…?" Aizawa-sensei trailed off, a small bite in his usually lethargic voice. "So it was you. You're the ones who broke in, I _knew_ someone did!"

' _The alarms.'_ Kasha followed along. _'They'd probably used the press as a cover to get in and out with the class schedules. But why?'_

"Where is he?" Hissed the man covered in hands. "All Might, that wretched Symbol of Peace. I went through all the trouble of gathering a big party to clear this mission and you're telling me he's not here?"

A faint snarl curled Kasha's hidden top lip. So they really did want All Might. What the hell did they think they were doing?

"I know." The handsy guy said, sounding maliciously amused. "If we start slaughtering kids maybe then he'll come out, right?"

"V-villains?" Mineta stuttered, trembling. "You gotta be kidding!"

"Are you crazy? What kind of idiots confront heroes on their home turf?" Kirishima exclaimed. "Get out of here!"

Ochako's hand tightened around Kasha's arm, but still the silver eyed girl didn't look at her. She kept her eyes on the villains, she would not fall prey to one _ever_ again.

"Sensei?" Yaoyorozu murmured. "Doesn't U.A have alarms set up?"

"Of course we do." Thirteen answered, sounding a little frustrated. "But for some reason they aren't working."

"Those villains must have someone with a quirk that can cause interference." Todoroki mused coolly. "Meaning this was carefully planned out with an objective in mind."

"Thirteen, start evacuation procedures!" Aizawa-sensei ordered, pulling his yellow goggles over his eyes. "Kaminari, try using your quirk to contact the school. If they really do have someone with a quirk interfering you might be able to get around them."

"Right!" Denki answered, his hand flying up to the right side of his headset, a small shake to his voice.

"Sensei?" Midoriya called, his eyes wide yet keen, always analysing. "Are you really going to fight them alone? There's way too many of them!"

"It's alright Midoriya." Aizawa answered, and Kasha was surprised that there was a note of comfort in his low voice. "No pro gets anywhere being a one trick pony. Thirteen, I'm counting on you!"

Kasha watched as her sensei leapt off of the stairs, clearing every last one of them and landing nimbly before the villains. He started running through them like a hot knife through butter with quick, efficient and ruthless takedowns.

"I get it." Midoriya murmured, seeming a little absent as his eyes followed their sensei's swift movements. "With his goggles on no one can tell who's quirk he's erasing, so they can't coordinate their attacks properly."

"Midoriya, now is not the time for analysis!" Iida boomed. "We have to evacuate immediately!"

"K-Kasha." Ochako tugged on her arm, trying to pull her out of her stone stiff position. "We have to go."

"Everyone, we have to get to the doors!" Yaoyorozu called, pointing to the exit.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

Kasha's blood froze, and Ochako's grip on her tightened enough to become painful. The dark mist from earlier swirled into existence before them, cutting off their escape route.

Kasha watched as both Kirishima and Bakugo sprang into action.

"Betcha weren't expecting this!"

"DIE!"

"No you two, get back!" Thirteen yelled.

' _Idiots!'_ Kasha thought. _'If they jump in like that Thirteen can't stop the mist guy!'_

"Greetings." The black mist intoned, oddly polite, even as he completely ignored the attacks of the respective muscle-heads. "I expected no less from the golden eggs of the hero course. Now, my name is Kurogiri, and I am a member of the League of Villains. Forgive our presumption, but we've come here today to take the life of All Might, and destroy the image of the Symbol of Peace."

' _Kill All Might?'_ Kasha thought shrewdly. _'If they went through all the planning to ambush us they might actually have a way to do it...'_

And that was staggering at the very least. What exactly had they all walked in to?

"He was supposed to be here today, yes?" Kurogiri intoned. "Though perhaps I should put that aside. For now..."

"Kasha!" Ochako breathed, watching as the mist villain's form expanded and his yellow eyes glowed brighter.

The white haired teen went on high alert, Kurogiri suddenly shifting the ground into an abyss of swirling darkness.

"A warping quirk!" Thirteen exclaimed. "No!"

Kasha pulled Ochako into her arms, hugging the other girl close as they both sank into the mist.

' _Dammit I can't move!'_ She thought helplessly.

"What do we do!" Ochako yelled.

' _Nothing.'_ Kasha gritted. _'We can't do a god damn thing.'_

They both struggled within each others arms alongside several of their classmates in vain before only the crown of their heads were still visible. And then, Kasha's eyes widened as she heard one last declaration from Kurogiri.

"Though regrettable, my goal is to scatter you all." He said. "You will be slowly tortured and slain."

* * *

Kasha grunted when her back slammed into hard concrete with Ochako still in her arms. The silver eyed teen huffed in pain.

"Sorry." Ochako muttered, rolling off of her and pulling herself onto her knees.

"It's fine." Kasha intoned, sitting up, silver eyes flitting over their new environment.

They were surrounded by concrete skyscrapers, a blackish, dome-like shape obscuring the roof of USJ. It was dark, almost as if it was night time, an almost bluish tinge casted onto everything. The two teens seemed to have landed in an alleyway, and violent winds whistled around them, blowing their hair about wildly.

Kasha's eyes darted left and right, finding two tall gray buildings with vertical rectangular windows lining them.

"Squall Zone." Kasha noted quietly. "The winds… Damn."

Ugh. They'd gotten separated from Denki and their other classmates, but they'd just have to trust that the others could handle themselves.

"What's the matter?" Ochako asked, standing up and offering her hand. "Are they too cold for you or something?"

"It's not cold enough for me not to be able to ignite." Kasha answered, taking the hand and allowing the shorter girl to pull her up. "Frankly there probably isn't anywhere on earth that's cold enough to stop that. It's the wind, it'll blow my flames everywhere and change the direction of wherever I'm trying to send them. You could be hit in the crossfire."

"So what do we do?" The gravity user asked, her brows furrowing. "I'm kinda at a disadvantage too. Doesn't matter what I slap my quirk on outside, if it has zero gravity it'll just get blown away."

' _This is bad.'_ Kasha thought. _'What if the villains knew what kind of quirks we had and sent us to places they thought we wouldn't thrive in?'_

"Is there anyway for you to keep something under your quirk's effect still?" She asked, deciding not to voice her thoughts.

"If I concentrate really hard yeah." Ochako nodded. "But I dunno how long I'll be able to hold out."

"At least ten seconds after you activate it." Kasha said, not wanting to hope.

Ochako nodded again, a grim look on her face. It was odd and frankly Kasha wanted it to go away. It was putting her even more on edge.

"I can do that at least." The gravity user said. "So, got any plans?"

"Maybe." Kasha murmured, tilting her head to the side. "You're awfully level headed."

Ochako offered a tiny laugh, holding up both of her hands, palms towards herself so Kasha could see how much they were trembling.

' _Ah.'_ She thought. _'I see.'_

"I'm scared." The shorter girl admitted. "I'm terrified, but we're just gonna get hurt or worse if we don't try to get out of here."

"You're right." Kasha agreed blankly. "So let's get out of here."

Ochako allowed her hands to drop back to her sides and she looked at the taller girl intently, listening.

"My guess is the villains in this zone have quirks that'll help them. So even if they have an advantage we still need to figure out a way to use the environment to our own."

Ochako gave another shaky little laugh.

"I guess I should've guessed you wouldn't be scared, Kasha." She said. "You really are cool."

It was strange, but Ochako was right. Kasha wasn't actually afraid, she felt strangely focused, and determined. Perhaps she didn't fear what the villains could possibly do to her because she had already seen what a person could truly be capable of. Of course this was different in many ways, but she still found herself moderately unshaken.

"I'm not unaffected though." Kasha admitted. "I'm not looking forward to all of the things that could go wrong, and I know this is probably not going to be easy."

"Yeah." Ochako said. "But we gotta do what we gotta do, right?"

"Mm." Kasha hummed. "Now, you said you could probably hold things still under your quirk's affect in this zone for about ten seconds. I don't see anything around here you could use, so I guess we'll have to make you some."

"How are we gonna do that? And what about you? If you go full flame they'll get blown around, maybe even catch someone's attention." Ochako pointed out.

"You're right, but do you remember when I burned my arm in the entrance exams because I focused my quirk into my arm?" Kasha asked, continuing when Ochako nodded. "I think if I limit myself to short bursts of my quirk's activation things should be fine."

"If you say so Kasha." Ochako said. "Now, what were you saying about making things for me to use my quirk on?"

"I'm going to blow up the side of that building." Kasha stated, pointing at the building to her right, not surprised when Ochako's eyes bugged out, but she simply continued with her explanation. "It's my only super move, Supernova. I'll have to dial it down since you're here with me, but the explosion it creates should be enough to create enough debris for you to use your quirk on. It'll also give you a place that shelters you from the winds."

Kasha paused for a moment, not used to talking for such long periods of time. But she carried on.

"Before we start trying to get out of here, we should take out as many villains as we can. So after I do this, you stay here and I'll attract as many people as I can to this location."

"Oh, I get it." Ochako breathed, a keen shine in her brown eyes. "That's the plan."

"Yes." Kasha nodded. "But we don't know if there's villains in the buildings or how many are nearby, so you need to stay on alert."

"Got it." Ochako said.

"Okay." Kasha motioned for Ochako to move back. "Here I go."

Ochako scurried over to the alley's dead end, back nearly against the wall. Kasha clenched her fists and activated her quirk, her form engulfed by ghostly white flames. Slowly and steadily she increased her heat output. She needed to time the peak of the output she was going to use perfectly if she wanted a more concentrated explosion.

"Super..."

 _1…_

Kasha glowed brighter.

 _2…_

Her flames threatened to expand.

 _3._

Kasha charged at the far wall, and the moment her shoulder connected with the concrete she released the largest output of flames she dared to with Ochako so close.

" _—NOVA!_ "

White light exploded throughout the alleyway, eclipsing the darkness for a split second before it was gone the next. Kasha stumbled into the building, retracting her flame form and coughing as dust and the smell of charred material clogged up her lungs. The vents in her mask were pretty much only good for releasing jets of concentrated flame and steam, not filtering out harmful external things.

' _I should probably talk to the Support Department and get that fixed.'_ She thought idly, shaking away her disorientation and turning around.

Ochako stood at the mouth of the gaping hole Kasha had created in the building, her mouth wide open.

"Holy crap your hero name should be the Juggernaut or something!" She exclaimed.

Kasha snorted, stepping over a few chunks of rubble she'd created and fanning the smoke and dust in the air away from her eyes.

"I'll put it on the list but I think I'm leaning more towards Shatterstar at this point."

Ochako rolled her eyes with a chuckle and stepped into the building, making her way over and holding up a hand. Kasha walked passed her and slapped her five as she did so.

"You ready?" Ochako asked.

"Mm."

She was. They could do this. Without another word Kasha walked back out into the Squall Zone's winds, and then she went on a hunt for villains.

The plan was officially in motion.

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter:**_

 _ **Squall Zone**_

 **I want to change the story's title into Kasha's hero name, but I just have no idea what I want that to be. I've been chewing on the following:**

 **Black Sirius**

 **Shatterstar**

 **Whitestar**

 **Binary**

 **and weirdly enough "Milktorch" smh.** **Whaddyou think?**

 **Until next time, thanks for reading.**


	10. Squall Zone

**Tanaka-Listless: Eh, Milktorch was kinda a call back to her mom who's quirk was bakeneko, and also her name Kasha, which is a yokai in cat form. It's bad I know lol. And yes, I do catch your drift. I like Marvel more myself as well.**

 **Sauce-Kun: Thank you for the innovative names, they sound really cool and I'll definitely put them to good use.**

 **Thank you to everyone who helped me decide Kasha's hero name. When the time comes she'll be:**

 **Shatterstar**

 **Any ideas given by you awesome peeps will be the names of some of her special moves.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

Kasha paused in her stride, stopping as three villains caught sight of her.

' _Here goes.'_ She thought.

"What's this?" Hissed a man that was more mouth and teeth than anything else. "Lookie lookie boys, fresh meat."

"Were you the one who made that noise a while ago?" Asked another, looking like a human scarecrow.

The last one was extremely round in body and incredibly stout, drooling profusely as he stared off into space.

"That was me." Kasha intoned, the winds of the Squall Zone blowing her hair about. "I just finished blowing some of your stupid little friends to kingdom come."

Of course that was a blatant lie, since she'd simply blown a hole in the side of a building to get Ochako out of the troublesome winds. But the villains didn't know that, and their reaction was more or less the desired effect.

"That doesn't sound very heroic." Mouth snarled, beady eyes flashing with rage. "But I guess it'll make it easier to cut you down if you're a complete bitch."

Kasha took two lazy steps back, her silver eyes half lidded and disinterested.

"You bore me." She stated. "I'm leaving."

"Oh that's it, cut this little shit to pieces boys." Mouth growled, pointing at the slim teen.

' _And that's my cue.'_ Kasha thought, turning tail to run.

Scarecrow and Butterball rushed after her, their footsteps loud and quick.

' _They must not have quirks that help with speed. But I won't hold my breath for it.'_ Kasha thought, sprinting through the windy, lightless streets of the mock cityscape.

"Don't follow me." The teen tossed over her shoulder. "I'm not into geriatric farts."

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

' _I should try and give them a little run around and pick up a few more villains before I go back to Ochako.'_ Kasha thought, hearing something quick slice through the air behind her and dodging right. Silver eyes went slightly wide when a mass of tiny scythe blades attached to gray tentacles tore a large gouge out of the concrete she had just vacated, only to be dislodged and reeled back in to whoever had thrown them from behind her.

"Where ya going bitch?" Mouth jeered from behind. "You were talking so big a second ago and now you're running like a coward!"

' _Are they really so dumb that they don't know I'm leading them to a trap?'_ The teen wondered. _'It can't be this easy…'_

Even so Kasha pushed herself to run faster, quickly bending a corner, just missing a large black ball whizzing down the street attempting to run her over.

Kasha caught sight of two more villains leaning against the buildings on either side of the street she'd cut onto, and at the sound of the commotion they startled, looking towards the teen and her pursuers.

One had a huge claymore on his back and the other was covered in what appeared to be tan bandages.

' _That's five villains.'_ Kasha thought, activating her quirk and bursting into the sky. _'That's enough for now.'_

"Don't let her get away!" Mouth bellowed.

Kasha flew just out of reach over the villains, flying so they could at least keep up with her but not so slow that it seemed suspicious.

The teen took them on a short wild goose chase, dodging the tentacle blades, the swiping broadsword, and tan bandages that struck like snakes.

Finally Kasha made it back to the alley where she had fallen with Ochako a little while ago, and as she sharply turned right, a bandage wrapped around her right ankle and snatched her out of the air. With a gasp Kasha was slammed onto the concrete, her quirk deactivating on impact as she grimaced with pain.

Kasha writhed, turning on her back as the bandage around her leg tightened and slowly began dragging her away from her objective and hidden classmate, towards the five angry villains that she had lead there.

' _No…!'_ Kasha thought, but then she wrangled the shrill feeling in. _'There was no time to panic.'_ There was still a chance to fix this.

* * *

Denki watched as Yaoyorozu pulled out a metal bō staff from her bare abdomen to defend herself and then a thin double edged sword for Jiro.

They were stranded in the Mountain Zone, backs against a large rock.

' _Damn, what I wouldn't do for Kasha to be here to calm me down right now.'_ He thought, his pulse slightly erratic as he used measured breathings techniques to remain as calm as possible. At his right he could see a line of sweat trickle down from Yaoyorozu's temple.

"Hey, don't I get a weapon too?" Denki called, ducking under a large slab of rock some villain tossed at him.

Did he forget to mention they were surrounded by adversaries? Oh. Well, they were.

"You're the electric guy!" Jiro yelled, a small tremor in her voice. "Be electric!"

"I can't control it that well!" Denki blurted, gold eyes darting from villain to villian. How were they supposed to get out of this? "I'll just shock you guys too!"

"And here I thought you couldn't be any more useful." Jiro joked sardonically, eyeing the villains.

"Go on Jiro, you're great for the ego." Denki chuckled, hiding his nervousness behind his quips.

"I'd hate to interrupt bonding between peers, but perhaps we should figure out how to get away from these people?" Yaoyorozu proposed.

Nodding, Denki lifted his hand to his Communication Earpiece, he'd been trying to link to a signal as requested by Aizawa-sensei before everything went to misty hell courtesy of "Kurogiri".

"There's interference." Kaminari reported after a moment, though he'd expected that. "So that's a bust."

"For now let's try and fight our way out!" Jiro gritted, using the flat side of her sword to knock away the blade of another adventurous villain. "Kaminari, just fire yourself up!"

The villains bristled at the threatening words, some moving to attack.

"Rodger!" Denki called, allowing a few thousands volts to skitter across his skin in a defensive manner. Thankfully Yaoyorozu was smart enough to inch away from him. She switched places with Jiro, who roughly spartan kicked a villain into the blonde teen, causing the guy to spasm violently upon contact and begin foaming at the mouth.

Luckily it didn't take long for him to drop in unconsciousness.

"Guys, I have an idea." Yaoyorozu suddenly piped up, shoving the butt of her bō into a tall man's adam's apple and then slamming it into his chest, knocking him back and the breath out of his lungs.

"Now would be perfect to let us know what that is princess." Jiro gritted, dropping into a squat, blasting sound waves into three impatient villains and sending them back.

A bearded villain jumped up behind them, but Denki dodged the clawed attack and Yaoyorozu jabbed her bō into his face, knocking him out.

"Kaminari-san, you said you'd shock us as well, yes?" The ponytailed girl panted, getting into ready position again, daring the villians on her side to come at her.

"Yeah. Indiscriminate Shock is my most powerful attack, but it takes out everything." Denki explained, glad that the guys on his side stopped trying to assault him once they realized touching him was hazardous. It gave them time to think.

"Hence the 'indiscriminate' I guess." Jiro grumbled.

"Exactly." He nodded, pursing his lips a little. A support item to help out in this situation would definitely be appreciated.

"Not to worry then you two." Yaoyorozu assured. "I can create something to keep myself and Jiro-san safe, but it'll take a few moments since it will be big. Can you two buy me some time?"

"Doesn't look like we have a choice." Jiro pointed out, stepping in front of the creation girl. "So what do you say Kaminari?"

"I'm always ready to rock." Denki replied, smirking insolently and stepping protectively in front of the creation girl as well, shoulder to shoulder with Jiro.

"What are they doing now?" A reptilian villain rasped.

"I don't know, but how sorry are we that they're actually picking us off?" Another complained.

' _Yeah, he has a point.'_ Denki found himself thinking. He valiantly fended off a few villains alongside Jiro while Yaoyorozu worked on their ticket out of trouble. _'It's actually kind of sad, even more so 'cause we're super nervous kids pulling all of this out of our asses. Aren't the villains professionals at this type of thing?'_

"Okay! It's done!" Yaoyorozu called, pulling him from his thoughts. She sounded slightly short of breath after large gray sheet burst out from her now bare back.

' _That was faster than expected, but better for us I guess.'_

"This is a special insulation sheet a hundred millimeters thick. It should almost perfectly negate your voltages." She explained. "So now Kaminari-san, you're up!"

Jiro took her cue and dived back beside the taller girl. They both flopped underneath the sheet and curled up, waiting for what was to come.

"All right!" Denki grinned, feeling his confidence skyrocket. He could do this, he _would_ do this.

So he did, he let it rip.

The blonde teen called upon his power, feeling the warmth of it skitter over his skin erratically as he stepped forward, closer to the gaggle of villains that remained. His feet slid apart and his shoulders set as he extended his hands out in front of him, palms towards his enemies.

"W-what's he doing…?" Someone stuttered.

"I don't like this…"

"Get dumped on!" Denki roared. " _Indiscriminate Shock: 1,300,000 volts!_ "

His electricity sparked out in every direction, screeching like thousands of chirping birds as it electrocuted everyone in the vicinity. Howls of pain and incoherent gurgles filled the air as the blonde boy gave the villains everything he had and dared to in his most lethal attack.

When he ran out of steam they dropped like flies, and silence reigned supreme.

"Whew." Jiro sighed, pushing the insulation sheet off of herself and sitting up, looking around at the rocky graveyard around them.

"He really did take them all out." Yaoyorozu said, standing up, dark eyes alight with awe.

"Wait! Your clothes!" Jiro yelped, flailing her arms to sensor the taller girl as Denki extended his thumbs cheerfully and smiled.

He wanted to assure them that he was okay so he offered his trademark thumbs up, but as usual in this state he felt a little sluggish and everything came out as, "Yaaayyyyy…"

"What the hell?" Jiro snorted, looking at the absolutely moronic expression on the boy's face as a bit of drool trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Just give me a moment please... I can remake my costume." Yaoyorozu smiled assuredly.

Denki shuffled closer, giggling a little at his classmates, though his vision was a little unfocused. Unfortunately before he could get any closer, a hand erupted from the ground, making grab for him. He was understandably not in any condition to defend himself when the calloused appendage clamped onto him with a vengeance.

"Don't move or he's fried!" The newly revealed man snarled, shoving his hand right in Denki's drooly face, it glowed threateningly with electric power.

"Oh crap!" Jiro cursed.

"No…!" Yaoyorozu cried, holding the remains of her costume up to cover her modesty.

"Not so tough now. Are you, you fucking brats." The man growled, a hideous delight stretching across his expression.

Things weren't looking so good for them now.

"Yaaayyyy!" Denki slurred.

* * *

Midoriya crashed into water, his eyes narrowed blearily as he peered through it.

 _'Flood Zone.'_ His mind supplied.

There would definitely be some water enemies here. Not wanting to give them a chance to spot him, he kicked his way towards the surface, expression focused and cheeks slightly puffed as he held his breath.

To his right, a shark villain swam at him, grinning from ear to ear.

' _Oh no…!'_ Midoriya thought, he had no way to defend himself in this situation. Was this really going to be his end? Before things really even started for him? What would All Might think?

' _It can't end here!'_

"I don't have anything against you, but you're chum kid!" He bellowed, baring his monstrous teeth.

Like a torpedo, Asui slammed her webbed feet into his side, damn near caving his chest in and sending him careening away. Midoriya would have breathed out a sigh of relief if he wasn't completely submerged, so he settled for gaping at her as her tongue ejected from her mouth and wrapped around his middle.

She skillfully and swiftly swam to the surface with him in tow, and then they finally breached, dragging sweet _sweet_ air into their lungs. Midoriya gasped out a thanks as the solemn faced girl hauled him up onto the boat alongside Mineta.

"Thank you so much Asui-san. That was definitely close." Midoriya breathed.

She made her way over the side of the boat so that she could stand beside her two male peers.

"Don't mention it, and call me Tsuyu, kero."

All three of them stared at the water, where they saw a multitude of villains swimming around, glaring at them.

"Oh no guys, what do we do!?" Mineta whisper-screamed. "We're so freaking dead! We're not ready for something like this, we haven't even been properly trained!"

Midoriya felt a little guilty after he realized he'd been happy when Asui slapped the shorter boy across the face with her tongue.

"Even so, I don't think panicking will make us better equipped to deal with this." Asui deadpanned, looking away from him to instead stare at Midoriya. "Do you have any ideas that might help us Midoriya-chan?"

' _Wow, she's so level headed…'_ He found himself thinking, his expression slightly slack with admiration. _'And she didn't even hesitate to save us both back there. I don't think I could have asked for anyone more reliable to be here with me right now.'_

And so, Midoriya nodded firmly, green eyes darting between his peers. He pointed to the villians in the water, mind working a mile a minute for something that could get them out of there. Just as he thought they were still swimming around or remaining afloat, talking amongst themselves, but giving no indication of scaling the boat to get to them.

"I'm guessing they're being that cautious because they don't know our quirks." Midoriya told his peers. "If they did, no way they would of put Asui-san here with us. She'd have been dumped in the fire zone."

Asui nodded with, "I'm right at home in the water. What about you two?"

"Yeah, let's tell each other our quirks." Midoriya proposed. Only then could he create a plan that would save them.

And he would, or his name wasn't Midoriya Izuku, future Symbol of Peace.

* * *

Roaring, Bakugou smashed his palm into an enemy, detonating a mini explosion into the turd's solar plexus and sending him careening across the room.

Kirishima charged two more villains and mowed them over like blades of grass. Both of them were in the Ruin Zone, trapped in a crumbling building and surrounded by cannon fodder.

"DIE!" Bakugou snarled, blasting another enemy away. "Is this really all the fight you have? You're so fucking weak!"

"Alright." Kirishima faced the explosive teen as he smashed another villain down with a fist to the gut. "We're good for now, so we should go help the others. If we're still in USJ, everyone else should be too. Some of the guys with less offensive quirks might need our help!"

"I'm gonna murder that warp gate!" Bakugou growled.

"Now isn't the time to be childish dude. It's so unmanly!" Kirishima reprimanded, exasperated. "We gotta back our classmates up."

"I only saw three of these fuckers that might be worth my time. Handsy, the Birdtard next to him, and that Warp Gate jerk off. If the others are facing side characters like these, then they shouldn't have a problem." Bakugou declared, just as a guy with a chameleon quirk attempted to sneak up on him, only to get an explosion right to the face.

He was out in a moment.

"Go help the extras if you want to, Hair-for-Brains. I'm definitely going to kill that warp fucker."

Kirishima paused, looking at the ash blonde for a long moment before his eyes shimmered with newfound respect and his razor teeth were put on display as he grinned.

"I think everyone misjudged you Bakubro." Kirishima chuckled, tightening his hardened fists and pumping one into the air. "You're alright with me man, believing in our friends is super manly!"

"They're not my friends!" Bakugo snapped, left eyebrow twitching in irritation. "I don't give two shits about those worthless side characters."

"You can't fool me anymore man, I'm definitely going to follow you!" Kirishima grinned.

"Tch." The blonde tutted, turning around to leave the room with a begrudging, "Do whatever you want, stupid shitty hair."

"Alright!" Kirishima crowed.

It was time to kick more ass and take names.

* * *

Todoroki stomped his foot onto the ground, and a shimmering sheet of ice spread out from beneath his boot, encasing the villains around him up to their chests. They were effectively frozen in place.

"It's pathetic. You ganged up on and lost to a singular child." He intoned, cool gaze surveying his surroundings. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, you're adults aren't you?"

From what he could see, he was somewhere in the Landslide Zone, and he'd heard a loud explosion go off somewhere.

' _Probably that fool, Bakugo.'_

Still, Todoroki hoped his classmates were alright. Even if he didn't show it, he did care. He wanted to be a hero after all, and he didn't want anyone to get hurt.

' _Though if they're facing people as uncoordinated as this, they're probably fine.'_ He thought dryly.

The half hot half cold teen took a step in the direction of one man who was doing his best to writhe out of his icy prison.

"Scatter and kill us? I hate to say this, but you just look like a bunch of randoms with quirks and no idea how to use them."

"The instant we warped here..." One villain spluttered. "Seriously!?"

"Is he really a kid?" Another trembled.

 _'It's no good, these guys are idiots.'_ He thought. But just then, he caught sight of someone sneaking about. _'Perfect.'_

Todoroki seemed to carelessly begin trudging down the iced over terrain, ignoring the pained complaints and groans of his defeated foes. He deliberately turned his back for a moment, and just as he thought…

A villain lunged at his 'unprotected' back, brandishing a staff and belting out a battle cry. Todoroki pivoted smoothly on his foot to face him and grabbed the weapon's end with his left hand, freezing the man in place with his right.

 _'These guys are just common thugs. There's only a few strong ones here.'_ The calm teen thought. _'The man covered in hands… Shigaraki, Kurogiri the warp gate, and the hulking bird-like man. I think I should probably get some more information.'_

"Hey." The teen called emotionlessly, letting his eyes rove over the villains around him as he addressed them. "Currently the cells in your bodies are slowly freezing and will eventually die. I still want to be a hero, so I'd prefer not kill anyone. So, why do you think you can kill All Might? What're you planning?"

Of course this was a bluff, the ice would melt before they could get so terribly frostbitten that they'd need to get things amputated.

Even still, when the teen didn't get an immediate response, Todoroki extended a freezing hand to the most recently captured villain's face.

"You help me, I help you." He intoned, glacially watching the man as he began trembling from more than just the cold. "Tell me the truth, and I'll ensure you don't lose any limbs from frostbite today."

* * *

"Shit! He's quick as fuck!" A villain yelped.

Ojiro descended with a swift flip, bashing his tail against the panicked man.

Upon landing he shifted quickly and whacked two more guys into unconsciousness before he straightened his back.

Shrewd dark eyes darted from point to point, surveying the current situation.

The fire in the Conflagration Zone was blazing around him in a controlled inferno, and he wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead as more villains came to take the place of those he'd knocked out.

' _I need to make sure I'm not caught.'_ He thought keenly. _'I'm in this alone and they already have control over the USJ communication systems. Definitely shouldn't hand over more leverage over us.'_

With those thoughts in mind, he leapt onto a lamp post, using his tail to swing himself to the top of a building with a bit of nimble acrobatics.

He'd do what he had been, slowly picking them off from the shadows as swift and cutthroat as he dared as a blackbelt in karate.

' _Here's to making it out of this alive.'_ Ojiro thought.

* * *

Iida got up after depositing Sero and Ashido to the side behind Thirteen. He'd grabbed them before they could be taken under the effects of the villain's warp gates.

Kurogiri, the mist villain had dubbed himself, was not playing around with them. The class rep stood beside Sato and Shoji, wondering what they should do now. Shoji tooka bit of initiative and turned his extra limbs into ears, surveying the USJ facility. After a moment he let his arms drop.

"Everyone's been scattered but they're all still here." He reported.

Everyone, including Iida himself heaved a sigh of relief.

 _Thank goodness.'_ He thought, once again squaring his shoulders. Even if that was good news they were still in a pinch.

"Physical attacks won't work, and he can warp things." Sato muttered.

"He was clearly avoiding Kirishima-san and Bakugo earlier though." Iida found himself murmuring. "He must have some sort of physical body if he felt the need to do that."

"He's right." Shoji agreed quietly. "Earlier I managed to hear a heartbeat from him with one of my dupli-arms."

"Class rep." Thirteen called for attention, using their own stout form as a barrier between the villain and the remaining students. "I know it's tough, but I entrust this duty unto you... Run to the school and report what's happening here. We know they have someone interfering with our signals so no one will come with help if no one brings it here. It will be faster to alert the school directly instead of trying to find the perpetrator."

Horror and equal amounts of disagreement swelled within the young Iida heir. He couldn't… he couldn't _possibly…!_

"It would be a disgrace to leave everyone behind!" Iida protested, his pulse racing as the situation _really_ started to bore down on him.

"Just go!" Sero yelled, sliding into a ready stance. "We can handle things here. We're all dead if you don't, so help us out a little, eh class rep?"

"If you can get out, there'll probably be alarms. That's why they're only attacking in here." Shoji added. "If you go, they won't follow."

"We wouldn't let them anyway!" Ashido chirped, fist pumping. "We got your back class rep!"

"Blow him to kingdom come with your engines!" Sato cheered. "I can keep him off your back with a little tough love!"

"You guys are the height of foolishness to talk of your plans in front of your adversary! You don't even have the strength to back up such gall, golden eggs or not." Kurogiri hissed, glowing eyes narrowing.

He expanded again, threatening to swallow everything within his blackened mass.

"Oh no you don't!" Thirteen huffed, activating their quirk and sucking the mist into the trapdoor hole on their hero suit's fingertip. "And it doesn't matter if you heard, because we will succeed!"

But it was all for naught, much to the teens' despair.

"You have a magnificent quirk." Kurogiri complimented grimly. "However, you are a rescue hero, not a battle hero. Compared to even the likes of Eraserhead, the amount of experience you have in a fight pales in comparison."

With that, Kurogiri opened up a portal behind Thirteen, disintegrating their back as they unintentionally used their quirk on themselves. Iida's blood chilled as Thirteen screamed in agony and collapsed like a house of cards, appearing all the world as if their back had been completely obliterated.

"Iida run!" Sato roared, charging at Kurogiri. "Hurry!"

"Don't let Thirteen-sensei's sacrifice be in vain!" Shoji said, following after Sato.

With tears welling in his eyes and gritting his teeth to the point of pain, Iida activated his quirk and blasted off, sprinting towards the door. Kurogiri appeared in a swirling mass of darkness before him, but Ashido spewed diluted acid from her palms, causing the villain to lose his balance as he slipped in the gelatinous sludge, only for Sato to crash his shoulder into the warp user and force him away from Iida.

"He has a physical body, you're the one who said that. So we can handle him… _go!_ " Shoji yelled.  
Kurogiri warped Sato off of him and above the stairs, causing the boy to grunt in pain and tumble down them violently.

"Bastard!" Sero spat, tape unfurling from his elbows to wrap securely around his classmate's arms and save him from a dangerous spill down the concrete stairs.

Again, while his classmates did their best to keep the villian off of him Iida raced towards the door. Kurogiri stubbornly expanded towards the speedster, only for Ashido to swiftly spew slightly more dangerous acid at the metal plate that she assumed to be hiding his neck. Startled, Kurogiri's form shrunk again to a more manageable size.

"They were right, you really do have a body if you're wearing something like that!" The pink girl said, glaring at the man with the now sizzling and distorted neck piece.

"Wretched brats…" The villain hissed.

Thankfully during all that Iida finally made it to the door, and with all his might he began to pry it open. Before Kurogiri could get any bright ideas, Sero spammed his spiffy form with tape, wrapping the villain up in a manner likened to a predatory arachnid. Shoji grabbed the two trailing pieces of tape after Sero broke off his hold. Using the formidable strength of his dupli-arms, Shoji began spinning the warp gate around before finally flinging him in the direction of the plaza with a gruff grunt.

"And it's clear outta the park." Sato cheered, high fiving Shoji.

"Iida can call for support now!" Ashido breathed, offering her classmates a thumbs up and relieved smile, just as Iida got the door open and bounded out the USJ, dust clouds kicking up in his wake.

"Yes, we did it!" Sero smiled.

It looked like they had some hope after all.

* * *

Koda watched innocently as the villains he lured were slammed into a wall by Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, immediately knocked out and slumping down to the ground.

The winds of the Squall Zone whistled around them.

The cloaked, bird headed teen made his way over to his temporary partner in crime, making sure the more soft spoken boy was alright.

"There aren't any animals here, but there's not much light either. We should be fine." Tokoyami reassured the mute. "As long as we stick together, we can hold them off."  
He was right of course, as that ha been the fourth batch of villains they had taken out with their lure and ambush tactics.

Before anything else could be said, another two villains rushed them from around a corner, having heard the commotion. Koda grimaced as they reared up for an attack, but Tokoyami smashed them into the opposite wall of their last opponents.

"That makes five groups. They mostly seem to be working in pairs so this could work." Tokoyami observed, sharp eyes darting this way and that for any indication that they weren't alone. "If we can reduce the enemy numbers as we have been until help arrives, we'll make it."

Koda nodded in agreement. He was scared, but they were getting along with how things were pretty well, so he'd trust in Tokoyami's judgement.  
They'd make it out.

Heroes always won after all.

* * *

Kasha was caught, but these villains really were about as smart as cannon fodder if they thought grabbing her leg was enough to keep her "well behaved".

"Now," Mouth spat, panting in exertion. "We finally caught you, you little bitch. Whaddyou say about ending this?"

"Great idea." Kasha breathed, her pulse rapidly fluttering in her chest from the adrenaline roaring through her body. With that, she activated her quirk with a blinding flash, tongues of flame shooting from the vents on the side of her boot and immediately incinerating the bandage around her leg. The one responsible for the restricting appendage howled in pain, reeling in its remains.

Kasha didn't waste any time thinking about why he'd yell from cloth being burned, simply scrambling up while the villains screeched curses and shielded their eyes. The teen hurried into the alley and towards the mouth of the hole in the building she'd created.

"Oh no you don't!" Butterball huffed, slurping at a bit of drool before curling into a ball and revving up in place.

Kasha paused, watching him do this for a moment before she took a step across the threshold of the hole.

The other four villains came to their senses and prepared to give chase once more.

"Just give up." Kasha deadpanned. "You losers won't catch me again."

"Why you…!" Broadsword gritted, charging at her just as Butterball took off like a rocket across the ground.

Kasha ducked into the building and sprinted across the large room, absently noting there was a significantly smaller amount of rubble on the floor since she'd left.

' _Perfect.'_

The other villains were hot on the trails of their comrades and Kasha remained still, crouching in the dim lighting, waiting. She was against the far wall, a corner that had almost no debris floating above overhead. No… most of the hazardous cement chunks were over the center of the room.

' _Even better…'_

"What the…?" Scarecrow hissed. "It's dark. Where did she go?"

"No clue." Bandages said. "We should spread out and look for her."

"When I get my hands on that mouthy little bitch I'm gonna rip her guts out with my teeth while she's still squirming." Mouth growled.

Kasha winced, remaining still and quiet, her eyes darting over the shadowy figures of the villains stepping or tripping over the small amount of debris still on the floor.

The silver eyed girl quieted her breathing as much as she could, but her pulse was still a little irregular from all of the running and flying she'd been doing.

Kasha had no idea where Ochako was, but she had to hope the other girl was prepared, because when the silver eyed girl counted five villain silhouettes in total in the room, she snarled, "NOW!"

"Release!"

Kasha breathed a quiet sigh of relief at her hidden accomplice's immediate reply.

A shower of large cement chunks rained down on the villains, knocking three of them out immediately and disorienting the beefy one with the huge sword. Bandages had spread his apparent _not_ banging out and slapped aside most of the offending objects raining down on them.

"What the hell?" Broadsword roared, whirling around to look for the offending children.

He turned his back and caught sight of Ochako, who Kasha had just noticed was crouched near the entrance of the hole in the wall.

Kasha charged at Broadsword's back, activating her quirk and supercharging it into her legs, white flames shot out of the vents running down her boots and her heels crunched into the back of Broadsword as she drop kicked him. She heard and _felt_ something snap and he howled as he was sent clear out of the darkened room and across the alley, slamming against the building on the other side and slumping down where he stayed, unconscious.

Kasha pushed herself to her feet, eyes alert, catching sight of Ochako's shadowy form rolling away from four darting appendages hanging off of Bandage's body. While he was distracted Kasha started at his back and swung her leg up, kicking him with half of her might in his temple. He crumpled to the floor, out like a light but still breathing. If she'd put everything she had into that he'd be brain damaged or dead.

"Is it over?" Ochako panted, standing up and brushing herself off a bit.

"At least with these guys." Kasha answered, stepping towards the door.

"Awesome, 'cause I have no idea how I would've fought them if most of them weren't knocked out from that trap." Ochako said, laughing a little.

Kasha shook her head and made her way back into the alleyway and into the chilled winds.

"Nice job in there." The silver eyed girl said, looking at her partner who stepped out behind her, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Thanks, you too." Ochako said. "Stretchy Guy almost had me there."

Stretchy? Well, it _would_ make sense if those "bandages" were actually his skin wrapped around him several times. He had yelled when Kasha burned one of them.

Gross.

"No problem." Kasha said in response.

"So what do we do now?" Ochako asked. "Should we set up the trap again? You did say we should take out as many villains as we can while we're here."

"Hm, but I'm not sure about staying in the same area." Kasha admitted. "I think we should move."

"Okay." Ochako nodded once. "Let's do it."

The duo left the alley and quietly but purposefully made their way through the winding, dimly lit streets of the Squall Zone.

They rounded a corner and with a gasp Ochako suddenly bellowed, "DUCK!"

Kasha didn't hesitate to drop into a crouch, silver eyes wide as her pink garbed partner suddenly vaulted herself over Kasha's head with one hand, the other extended so she could slap the villain that had appeared out of nowhere across the face and send him floating into the air.

"Wh—what the hell is this!?" He spat, writhing in the air.

But Kasha was already standing up by this point, and she rounded Ochako as the other girl held her hands in that strange triangular position she often did when her quirk was in effect.

"Thanks for the save." Kasha murmured, grunting as she pivoted her foot and executed a wicked roundhouse kick into the man's gut, sending him flying across the street with a trail of saliva bursting from his gasping mouth. He crashed into the opposite wall where he slumped down, knocked out cold.

"And release." Ochako breathed, letting her hands fall to her sides, offering Kasha a smile. "No problem."

They two girls took off again, this time keeping a better look out.

' _Can't afford to be that sloppy again. What if Ochako wasn't here? I'd probably be dead.'_ Kasha chided herself. _'Pull yourself together Yūrei! You can be better than that. You_ will _be better than that. Otherwise everything will be all for nothing.'_

"Hey Kasha?" Ochako called quietly, pulling the taller girl away from her depreciative thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Do you… do you think our classmates are okay?"

Kasha paused, ducking behind a corner and pressing her back against the wall, the pink and black garbed girl doing the same.

"I don't know." Kasha answered honestly. "We just need to believe that they are until we find them again."

"Yeah, you're right." Ochako murmured, sounding oddly subdued. "I can't help but worry though."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Kasha found herself murmuring, feeling the need to reassure the other girl.

"Thanks Kasha." Ochako said, giving her a subdued smile.

The silver eyed girl nodded, looking away from those earnest yet worried brown eyes and peeking around the corner. Kasha's breath hitched when she caught movement, swiftly ducking back out of sight.

"What's wrong?" Ochako whispered, reading the atmosphere.

"There's another lone villain on the street around the corner from us, he'd be facing me if I stepped out." Kasha whispered back, turning her head slightly to catch her classmate's now serious gaze.

"So how do you wanna do this?" Ochako asked. "If you want me to use my quirk out in the open with these winds remember I can probably only hold stuff still for ten seconds."

Kasha hummed a little under her breath. Yeah, there was that, which was part of the reason Kasha had the gravity user set up that trap in the building. But she wasn't sure if they had the luxury of doing something like that several times. They were bound to draw attention that way eventually, and Kasha didn't want to risk them getting caught with their pants down. They should probably try something more stealthy.

And that would definitely be easier with just one target like they had right then.

"He's alone, wanna try getting some info out of him?" Kasha asked. "He might know something more about the attack on us today."

"That couldn't hurt." Ochako mused. "You go first I go around?"

Despite the circumstances Kasha felt her lips wanting to curl into a small smirk. The white haired girl had sort of known already, but she _liked_ Ochako. She was crafty under that happy go lucky demeanor of hers, and Kasha couldn't have asked for a better person to be separated with in such a situation beside Denki.

' _I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining.'_

Kasha nodded, and without another word Ochako stood up and snuck around the building so that she would be behind the villain.

Kasha waited around two minutes, and she saw her partner's head peek out down the street from around the corner. The gravity user offered Kasha a grin and thumbs up, and Kasha took that as her cue.

She stood to her full height and rounded the corner, catching the attention of the lone villain. He stiffened, a snarl forming on his face.

"Hello there, I'm new here." Kasha deadpanned. "Mind showing a stranger around?"

The man released a battle cry and charged at her, swiping his claws through the air. Two blades of wind sliced through the air and headed straight for Kasha, and she neatly dodged and ducked around them both. Just as the man was upon her she shifted her left leg back, her right knee coming up before her leg snapped out in a brutal kick.

Her boot crushed into the man's chest, causing spit to spurt from his mouth as he gasped in pain and alarm, sent flying back. He landed on his butt and Kasha strode over to him. She stomped him in the same area to knock the breath out of him before reaching down and lifting him up by his shirt, forcing him to stumble to his feet.

Before he could completely regain himself she whirled him around and shoved him forward. The villain stumbled right into Ochako, who had snuck up on him from behind. The pink garbed girl shoved the heel of her hand into his nose swiftly, breaking it with a loud _crunch_ while her other slapped him across the gut with all five fingers. He screamed in pain and ascended from the effect of her quirk.

"Now." Kasha said, reaching out to snag him by his ankle and slam him with absolutely no effort back into the ground. "We have a few questions for you."

The man lifted a hand to possibly use his quirk, but Kasha booted it aside before simply stomping on it and leaving her foot there, ignoring his yell of pain.

"Sorry about this." Ochako grimaced, stepping on his other hand to keep him still, holding her own together in a triangular formation.

"What were you villains hoping to accomplish by coming here today?"

"F—fuc—aaagghh!" He cried when Kasha stomped down on his hand again.

"Keep joking around and next time I'll break it." She intoned.

She didn't look at Ochako but she could imagine some of the thoughts the girl was having about her behavior despite not verbally reacting.

"You're n-not sounding very heroic t-there kid." The villain mocked, sneering up at her with his scornful beady eyes.

Kasha wasn't sure she could care less. As if she could feel anything but contempt for some scumbag looking to mortally wound or kill a bunch of kids. People like him and his little friends deserved to be locked up in a box of a room before being lead to a table with their last memory being a needle in their arm. _That_ was justice.

Two villains had told her that day that she wasn't heroic, but at least she wasn't villainous.

"You can't blame me for my actions today." Kasha returned, emotionless. "I'm stressed and frightened, just doing my best to survive this unexpected turn of events. So let's both help each other out here, hm? Tell us what we want to know and you'll be knocked out swiftly."

"How about no?" He mocked, looking all kinds of stupid pinned down with a crooked and bloodied nose. "I could smell the bullshit on that garbage you just spewed a mile away. You're a lying, cocky little brat and you'll get what's coming to you when my friends find you!"

"You don't seem to understand what situation you're in." Kasha observed in a dead tone. She allowed her quirk to engulf her form, setting it alight with dangerous white flames.

She crouched down, watched the man inch away in discomfort at the heat her body emitted.

"Tell me why you and your friends are here, and how you expect to kill All Might, and I promise I won't turn anything of value attached to you into ash."

She heard Ochako's breath hitch at her side, but her glowing white eyes simply continued to bore into the man she had pinned.

He didn't take long to cave under the pressure her presence radiated, quaking before her. Kasha admittedly felt nothing in the face of the fear she invoked within him. Why should she? He had been determined to hurt her mere moments before. And he probably would have enjoyed it.

' _Scumbag.'_ She thought venomously.

"Okay, okay! I'll talk, just cool your jets alright?" He sputtered.

"After you tell me what I want to know." Kasha ordered coldly.

"Okay!" He yelped, shying away from her merciless gaze. "Honestly, I don't know shit, I got hired for this gig like yesterday. All I know is, the big guy with the beak is supposedly as strong as All Might. Shigaraki, the guy with the dead people's hands on him is the only guy he'll listen to. The guys that are here to fight you kids are just to keep you guys out of the main fight. I swear that's all I know!"

' _As strong as All Might?'_ Kasha thought. _'That's… worrying. A villain that strong wouldn't be stopped by a bunch of kids. And what does that even mean? Literally as strong as him? Or just as fast as him? Is he a perfect combatant for All Might or are these villains just delusional?'_

They really didn't have the luxury of making assumptions like that, so they should just probably proceed under the assumption that the bird faced man really was as strong as All Might. In all the ways that statement implied.

 _'Someone with that much power but… evil?'_

Kasha shivered.

' _What's worse, a monster that monumentally strong or the man that controls him?'_

"Kasha?" Ochako broke her out of her bleak thoughts.

The white haired teen shook her head slowly and deactivated her quirk. Not giving the man a chance to blubber out in relief she stood up again and kicked him in the side of the head, knocking him out.

"Wow… you were kinda… intense there, huh?" Ochako offered, giving the taller girl a shaky smile as she removed her boot from the unconscious man's hand.

"I had to be." Kasha stated blankly. "People like that only respond to what they know, which is violence."

Kasha's head tilted ever so slightly to the side as Ochako studied her with something unreadable in her eyes.

"And you know how people like that think?" She asked carefully, her eyes darting to Kasha's hidden arms, no doubt remembering the scars there as well as on her back before looking back into Kasha's eyes.

"Now really isn't the time." Kasha told her, giving her a dead eyed stare.

' _It will never be the time, just forget you saw any of my scars.'_ She thought. _'Forget it Ochako!'_

"Kasha…" The gravity user protested.

"No." Kasha huffed a little, turning away and walking off.

Just… no. They might be friends, but that didn't give Ochako the right to… _to…!_ Just, **no**.

"Well what about later then?" Ochako asked quietly, following behind her. "After we get out of here? And you know Kasha… you know I'm your friend, right?"

"Ochako." Kasha said gravely, looking over her shoulder, her bangs casting shadows across the dark look in her silver eyes. "Drop it."

Kasha turned back around when she saw the other girl swallow weakly at her thunderous expression. The silver eyed teen sighed quietly, jets of smoke expelling from the vents in her face mask.

"I'm sorry." Ochako said suddenly.

"It's fine. Let's just not, okay?" Kasha murmured, hating to sound so defeated.

"Okay." Her friend agreed quietly.

The duo quietly made their way through the deserted streets of the Squall Zone, senses stretched and alert.

"This is weird." Ochako finally caved and whispered. "I thought there'd be more people here."

"Yeah. I wonder…" Before Kasha could finish that thought, a loud boom had her pupils dilating and Ochako flinching at her side.

The two girls traded a glance.

"That sounded close." Ochako pointed out.

"Let's check it out." Kasha said, nodding and creeping over to the corner of a building so she could use it as cover as she peeked around the corner. She felt Ochako's hand on her arm as the shorter girl peered over her shoulder to get a look as well.

"I think I figured out why there aren't that many goons around here." Ochako muttered, chuckling a little.

With a silent snort, Kasha stood up, watching Tokoyami reel Dark Shadow back into himself after tossing two guys against a wall and knocking them out cold. Koda was offering the bird headed boy a thumbs up for a job well done.

Kasha stepped out from behind their cover, Ochako following her head.

"Hey you guys!" The gravity user called, waving a little.

Startled, Koda and Tokoyami looked over.

"Yūrei-san, Uraraka-san." Tokoyami blinked, but sobered a moment after. "Well, maybe this explains why we weren't finding that many adversaries in this area."

"We took out a few." Kasha confirmed with a singular nod.

The two girls made their way over to the boys who had also been deposited in the windy zone.

"You guys okay?" Ochako asked.

Koda nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, and you two?" Tokoyami questioned.

"We're good." Ochako chirped, looking incredibly relieved. "But man am I glad to see some more friendly faces."

"Mm." Kasha hummed softly in agreement.

"Likewise," Tokoyami began. "But since the four of us are here, what do you propose we do?"

"Well… Me and Kasha were slowly picking off the villains, but honestly I'm a little worried about our classmates." Ochako admitted, rubbing at the back of her head.

"I see." The shadow quirked teen said. "You seem like you have something specific in mind."

"Yeah, I kinda wanna go check on them, y'know? Offer people support that haven't made their way out of their zones or might need backup."

"Ah," Tokoyami nodded. "I suppose that's understandable. While I'd prefer us to stick together after just finding each other, I believe Koda-san and I can handle this zone from here. If you must, go ensure the safety of our peers."

"You don't wanna come with us?" Ochako blinked, looking between Tokoyami and Koda.

The Ani-voice user shrugged, looking to the boy he had teamed up with. Tokoyami shook his head, eyes closed for a short few moments.

"I feel as if we need to incapacitate the villains here before moving on." He explained. "Originally I felt we were just buying time until help could arrive, but…"

"You feel it's your duty to take out the villains?" Kasha supplied, eyeing the shorter boy shrewdly.

Tokoyami bowed his head.

"I'm sorry if that seems selfish…"

"No, it's alright." Kasha assured him. "Besides, if you take out all the villains here the cleanup for the backup that should be coming will be much easier. So, all I can say if you're staying is be careful."

"Kasha, you're coming with me?" Ochako looked to her, seeming oddly touched.

Kasha tilted her head to the side ever so slightly.

"Of course." She said. "We make a good team don't we? And I couldn't let you go off alone in a situation like this."

"Kasha…" Ochako said.

"Then I suppose this is where we part ways." Tokoyami brought the matter at hand back to the forefront. "Thank you for understanding, Yūrei-san."

Kasha's silver eyes bore into Koda and Tokoyami.

"It's fine." She intoned. "Just don't die."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Tokoyami said, offering a small snort as Koda nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"That settles it then. Ochako, we're leaving." Kasha murmured, extending her hand to her partner in crime.

"Right!" Ochako nodded, fists clenching in determination. "Be careful Tokoyami-kun, Koda-kun."

The two boys nodded, and then Ochako reached out and took Kasha's hand.

It was time for them to go.

' _I guess it worked out.'_ Kasha thought wryly. _'I have been worrying about Denki on the back burner of my mind…'_

With this, she had an excuse to rush off to find him. Of course she would be helping anyone else that needed it too.

Because all reasonings put aside, Kasha _was_ after all, a hero in training.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading, I know this chapter was all over the place.**


	11. Heroes vs Nomu

**Hey guys. Guess what? I created a tumblr and finally decided I wanted to use it for something, so I posted a drawing I did of Kasha on there. I don't have a drawing pad yet, so it's not digital, but I think it came out kinda okay. Tbh one of her legs looks kinda derpy.**

 **My Tumblr: xxkamuisenketsuxx**

 **Check it out!**

* * *

Momo Yaoyorozu worriedly watched as the vindictive villain took her classmate hostage.

There was nothing she or Jiro could do. If they so much as twitched, Kaminari would be killed, and he was in no condition to save himself— considering he seemed to have short circuited his own brain a little while before.

' _What should I do…?'_ The beauty thought, a bead of sweat sliding down her right temple. _'All the possibilities and none of them are in our favor!'_

"Tch. Dammit, he's got us." Jiro muttered, just as worried as she watched on.

Momo's heart twisted with guilt and shame at her own lack of ability to be the hero she dreamed of being, and she was just about ready to ask the villian what they had to do in order for him to release Kaminari safely but... something unexpected happen. A cheerful voice rang out from above.

"Improvised special move!" Uraraka cried.

Momo, Jiro, and the villain looked up, mouths falling open in shock.

"Shooting Star Kick!" Yūrei finished, descending to the ground with her right arm and leg extended, her left folded inward, and her left arm tucked close to her body.

The masked teen crossed the distance between the now gawping spectators below in a flash, white flames and smoke streaming after her. The villain's exclamation of surprise was cut short as Yūrei's heeled boot crunched into his face, sending him flying. She landed in a nimble crouch just as the villain cratered into the erected rock behind the heroes in training.

"And release!" Uraraka called, dropping down from the sky after floating to a more manageable height.

"Heh heh… yay~" Kaminari drawled, a bit of drool dribbling out of the corner of his mouth as he extended his thumbs up at Kasha.

"Denki?" Yūrei murmured, standing gracefully to her feet. Silver eyes flitted between Momo and Jiro. "What's the matter with him?"

"Guess he surpassed his limit." Jiro shrugged, and then cocked an eyebrow at the white haired teen. "But let's talk about where the hell you two came from? Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Kasha and I were in the Squall Zone, but we finished up over there." Uraraka answered, offering a somewhat beat smile. "I cancelled out our gravity and Kasha used her fire to get us around. We spotted you in a pinch from up there and thought we'd lend a hand."

"Huh. Well thanks." Jiro offered, placing a hand on her hip.

Momo finally decided she should speak up as well, since her shock had worn off a while ago.

"Indeed, thank you for the assistance Yūrei-san, Uraraka-san."

"Don't sweat it!" Uraraka chirped, waving the thanks away.

"Mm." Yūrei hummed, possibly in agreement to her partner's words before turning back to the spaced out Kaminari. "So… this is what you meant by a wattage limit? _This_ is what happens?"

"Heh heh, yay~" The blonde drooled, dancing around a little bit.

Yūrei shook her head, and Momo thought she saw a bit of exasperation flash across the slim girl's silver irises. Though, if she had seen such a thing it was gone as soon as it appeared, leaving the black garbed teen with a pair of lidded solemn eyes as usual.

"Denki… honestly." Yūrei intoned, grabbing Kaminari's hand so he would stop fooling around and turned back to Jiro and Momo. "So, leave?"

"I definitely have no problem with that." Jiro snorted, smirking a little.

"Neither do I." Momo said. "I'm sure we should be getting back to our fellow classmates since we're all finished up here."

She left it unsaid, but if they loitered about for much longer the knocked out villains from Kaminari's indiscriminate shock may begin to wake up. And Momo definitely did not want to deal with that. Apparently agreeing, one of her peers piped up.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Uraraka exclaimed, making her way towards the rocky zone's exit.

Momo felt her somewhat frazzled spirits lighten at the brunette's cheer, even if the girl seemed a little tired. If her classmates could hold on to their composure in such a dire situation, then she should be able to too.

"Mm!" Momo nodded once, a determined shine sparking in her eyes as she whispered to herself, "I'll do my best!"

* * *

Kasha gently held Denki's warm hand as they descended the rocky landscape the blonde had been stranded in with Yaoyorozu and Jiro.

The electric user sort of shambled behind her and stared off into space with a partcularly idiotic expression on his face. Had they been in any other situation, Kasha would have snorted at him. But it wasn't the time for that. They were in unknown territory with a building full of lowlifes just itching to hurt them and Denki was in no position to defend himself.

' _Well, I'll just have to look after him until he can.'_ The teen thought, resolute.

Yaoyorozu and Jiro took point as the group of teens moved. Kasha walked with Denki slightly behind her at her right as she tugged him along gently, and Ochako was at her left, lagging somewhat. The group was making their way through a makeshift forest at the bottom of their zone which bordered said zone. As soon as they made their way through the trees they'd be back at the central plaza of USJ.

"You okay?" Kasha muttered to the brunette.

Ochako's eyes met hers, and Kasha could seen the encroaching exhaustion in those kind brown orbs.

"Yeah." Ochako sighed, nodding. "I just used my quirk a lot, so I'm not feeling so great. Luckily I haven't puked yet, but any more and I probably will."

Kasha's brows furrowed a little but she quickly wiped the slate of her face clean of all emotions.

"I see." She said. "I won't ask you to use it again, just take it easy for now, okay? Thanks again for helping me so much today."

"Don't sweat it." Ochako smiled. "We're partners yeah? Zero Gravity and the Juggernaut!"

"Stupid." Kasha huffed quietly, eyes crinkling slightly in amusement.

Ochako stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Maybe, but it made you smile." She retorted.

Kasha blinked.

Huh. Ochako was right. However brief, she had smiled. Though Kasha supposed it shouldn't be that alarming. She often snorted at Denki's shenanigans too. It was a sobering thought, but one she could muse upon after they were all home free.

"That just means Operation Make Kasha Smile is still in motion." Ochako muttered, giving a little fist pump and nodding to herself.

' _She was serious about that?'_ The fire user thought, exasperated.

"You three!"

Kasha and Ochako were put on high alert at the worried hiss of Yaoyorozu from up ahead.

' _Another time indeed. Looks like we really don't have time for any goofing off.'_ The pale teen thought sharply.

"What's wrong?" Ochako whispered, reading the mood as she watched alongside Kasha as Yaoyorozu and Jiro ducked for cover behind a cluster of trees. The central plaza was in sight.

"Take a look." Jiro muttered, gesturing with one of her earphone jacks towards the plaza. "Looks like things are getting dicey."

Kasha pursed her lips and tugged Denki behind her as she strode forward, taking cover behind a thick tree on the right of Jiro and Yaoyorozu. The silver eyed teen peeked out from behind the tree trunk, pupils dilating as she caught sight of a bleak scene up ahead.

The hulking back bird-like man that had unsettled Kasha earlier had their teacher, Aizawa-sensei in a vicious hold, pinning the man face first to the ground. His arms looked to be broken beyond repair, and there was blood splattered around the crater that held their sensei's face. It didn't matter how much Kasha found herself disagreeing with Aizawa or becoming downright irritated by him. He did not deserve that. She _knew_ he had protected them the best he could.

' _And now look at him…'_ She thought mournfully, silver eyes leaving the form of her battered teacher.

The figure in black covered in dead men's hands stood menacingly before more of their classmates, who were positioned on the shore of the flood zone. The nebulous form of Kurogiri awaited instruction at his side as he scratched angrily at his neck.

Kasha recognized Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta across the way, seemingly unsure of what to do. Not that she could blame them.

"Oh my god…" Ochako breathed. "Oh my god is Sensei dead?"

"I-I'm not sure." Yaoyorozu stuttered.

"We should do something." Jiro said, looking between her companions with a lost expression. "Right…? We have to… we have to help somehow."

"What can we do?" Ochako asked, frowning worriedly.

"Are you kidding me?" The hand man exclaimed, cutting off anything the teens hiding in the trees may have said. "You actually let one of those little brats get away!?"

"I apologize Tomura Shigaraki." Kurogiri intoned. "Though perhaps we should focus on our next plan of action."

Those words seemed to snap a thin thread within the messy haired man covered in severed hands, for he swiftly burst into action.

"Shit!" Jiro hissed.

"Deku-kun!" Ochako cried.

"Just die already!" Shigaraki screeched, rushing towards Midoriya.

Kasha clenched Denki's hand tighter in her own, grinding her teeth because she knew she wouldn't be able to cross the distance between herself and the maniac in time to save Midoriya, who seemed to be a little worse for wear with a broken and purpled arm.

' _Dammit!'_ Kasha thought, despaired.

But like she had sent out a prayer, her worries were doused in the next few seconds as they blurred together in an explosion of activity.

"DIE YOU WARP-GATE MOTHERFUCKER!"

Gasps rang out as a sudden and huge smoky explosion sent Kurogiri flying. One Bakugo Katsuki tore after him, propelling himself with mini explosions to cross the distance between them in a flash. The blonde quickly and viciously pinned the shadowy man by the metal plate on his neck.

Before Kasha could focus on that she noticed that Kirishima had darted out of the trees lining the ruin zone and slammed into Midoriya, pulling the green haired boy back and away from harm. Asui and Mineta were barked at by said redhead to take cover so they used the distraction to head for the rest of their classmates at the entrance of USJ.

Shigaraki appeared to ignore Kurogiri being taken out easily and reached out for the redhead and greenette respectively, only for a line of ice to streak across the ground and spike up hazardously, separating Midoriya and Kirishima from Shigaraki.

"You so much as twitch and I'll blow your smoky ass to kingdom come." Bakugo warned darkly.

"That doesn't sound very heroic my dude." Kirishima chuckled, letting go of Midoriya.

"Shut the fuck up!" The blonde cursed.

"So," Todoroki called, standing on the bridge connecting the central plaza to the landslide zone. "I heard about your scheme to kill All Might. You really think you can do that when you can't take down a couple of kids?"

Shigaraki slumped slightly, arms dangling at his sides and head bowed.

"You've pinned down our revolving door..." He rasped, head tilting to the side. "Well now... this is quite a pinch."

"Looks like you lose buddy, how 'bout throwing in the towel and kicking some rocks?" Kirishima offered, giving the villain a crooked razor grin.

"We've been cornered, and what's more, you're all nearly unscathed." Shigaraki ranted, lifting his hands to scratch at his irritated throat again. "Man, I have to hand it to kids these days... At this rate the League of Villains will be a laughing stock!"

"Something's not right." Kasha said, gaining the eyes of her fellow hidden companions. The silver eyed teen released Denki's hand.

"You're right, he seems to be too complacent." Yaoyorozu murmured, brows furrowing in worry. "Just before he was absolutely murderous."

' _And that doesn't click right. Something about this just isn't right...'_

"You two think he's winding up to pull something?" Jiro asked, frowning.

"I know so." Kasha declared, eyes cutting to Ochako. "Watch Denki. I'm going."

"With no plan?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"No time." She pointed out.

"You shouldn't go alone." Ochako argued, even as she took Denki's hand instead and pulled him behind herself as he smiled cluelessly into the distance.

"Don't follow." Kasha warned, knowing there wasn't much time to debate anything. "I'm not holding back."

"Yūrei…" Jiro began uneasily.

"Don't worry." Kasha assured them, stepping out from behind the tree she was hiding behind. "I won't die."

' _I can't die here, I have too many things I need to do.'_

"You damn brats!" Shigaraki suddenly exclaimed, pulling his hands away from his throat and piercing the short tension filled silence reigning supreme across the plaza. "You think this is over already huh? Don't you know there's always more than one level to beat?"

Kirishima and Midoriya traded a worried glance as Bakugo scowled, keeping Kurogiri pinned beneath his palm, craning his head over his shoulder so he could study the leader of the "league". The redhead wordlessly hardened his skin, hands becoming likened to jagged blades.

' _Looks like Kirishima feels something is up too.'_ She thought. Kasha called upon her quirk, jets of smoke spilling out of the various vents in her costume.

' _Easy now.'_ She told herself. _'You've gotta time it just right or someone's gonna end up dead.'_

"Nomu, it's time to level up." Shigaraki ordered.

At its master's command, the hulking creature abandoned Aizawa in favor of taking a threatening step towards Midoriya and Kirishima. Bakugo was of course occupied and Todoroki could only offer support from afar if he didn't get close soon. And things could get worse if the villains that had been knocked out by Aizawa-sensei that were waking up decided they wanted to join the fray. For the time being, they just watched with menacing eyes around the staircase leading to the entrance.

"Kill these pests." Shigaraki snarled.

Nomu roared.

' _NOW!'_

Kasha blasted off, a white streak across the plaza just as the black bird creature zipped forward.

Midoriya and Kirishima gaped, unable to react quickly enough to get out of the way— but they didn't have to, because Kasha appeared in a white flash engulfed in flames as she smashed a kick into the center of Nomu's chest. It felt like she tried to kick a brick wall, nevertheless, her velocity helped her inflict damage all the same. The creature's battle cry was cut off as it was sent clear across the plaza, crashing into the stairs at the entrance and cratering into it, debris flying in all directions as clouds of dust flew up.

"Holy crap!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Yūrei!" Midoriya blurted, looking equally stunned and glad to see her.

Kasha stood silently, having landed in a crouch after her brutal attack.

"And who the hell are you!?" Shigaraki yelled, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Some kind of stupid mini boss? Get lost!"

"Not a chance." Kasha deadpanned, planting her feet and raising her fists.

"Yūrei-san." Todoroki greeted, creating an ice slide to quickly make his way down to the plaza as well.

"Shut up!" Shigaraki screamed, nearly ripping his throat open as he began scratching profusely. "No fair no fair _no fair!_ You're cheating. All of you brats are _cheating_!"

"Well if it's just a game, you've lost." Todoroki said coldly, narrowing his eyes. "You're just embarrassing yourself at this point."

"Why are you useless fucks standing around chit-chatting?" Bakugo roared, detonating a small explosion and causing Kurogiri to grimace. "Fucking end Hand Job already!"

"Shut up!" Shigaraki snapped. "Nomu, stop fooling around and kill these stupid brats already!"

To everyone's horror, the titan peeled itself out of its makeshift tomb, disturbing a few pieces of stone from the ruined steps and sending them clattering to the ground.

"Mm, should've known." Kasha intoned.

"Oh?" Todoroki questioned.

"That thing was brought here specifically to kill All Might." Kasha told him. "Of course a hit like that wouldn't be enough to stop it."

"No… it wouldn't." Midoriya spoke up, looking grim. "He has some sort of shock absorption. He took a hit from me point blank and didn't even flinch."

Took a hit that obliterated the top portion of the zero point robot and didn't bat an eye?

' _Yeah… that's an adversary for All Might alright.'_ Kasha admitted darkly.

"Nomu, help out our escape plan and then take care of the flamey brat and the ice brat.." Shigaraki ordered. " _I'll_ handle this All Might fanboy and the blockhead."

"Hey!" Kirishima protested.

Nothing else could be said, Nomu blurred into action. Bakugo was forced to release Kurogiri unless he wanted to be absolutely pulverized, sending himself careening back with a few well timed explosions. Seeing this, Nomu simply veered away in his pursuit and headed straight for Kasha and Todoroki instead. Said two toned teen lifted his foot and placed his heel down, ice blooming beneath his white boot, waiting for the exact moment he needed to unleash its full potential.

Kasha's eyebrows caved into a firm frown as she set her form alight with white flames, lifting her right knee up in preparation for a monstrous kick.

The silver eyed teen had no idea what Kirishima and Midoriya were doing, but she just had to trust that they could handle themselves with "Hand Job". Bakugo seemed to be trying to get ahold of Kurogiri again, but the warp villain was having none of it.

Todoroki suddenly completely stomped his foot down and ice branched out across the ground, encasing Nomu's legs in crystal cold and ending his pursuit abruptly. Kasha extended her leg swiftly, releasing a hissing stream of white fire that sprayed over the beast's upper half. Nomu screamed in agony and rage, the sound chilling all those who heard from the inside out. It was absolutely inhuman.

Smoke rose from the immobilized behemoth's form, and Kasha averted her eyes, as seeing the fruits of her labor turned her stomach slightly. Nomu had been completely charred from the waist up, his skin webbed with cracks and splitting open in various places, oozing copious amounts of boiling crimson. His beak was completely incinerated, revealing a set of yellowing teeth and blackened muscle tissue.

Before anyone could react, the bang of a door caught all eyes, and then a thunderous shot rang out.

All movement in the USJ halted.

Kasha's silver gaze cut across the plaza and went straight up to the entrance. Her breath hitched at the sight before her.

Blood gushed from Shigaraki's hand after a bullet pierced his flesh.

"Howdy partners!" Snipe greeted, quite literally holding a smoking gun.

Literally everyone in the training center had their eyes towards the entrance, some eyes lighting up while others narrowed in anger or widened with terror. Just as Kasha had thought, the pro heroes on UA's staff stood in a line ready for combat. And at front and center loomed All Might, the Symbol of Peace.

He wasn't smiling.

" _YEEEEAAAHHH_!" Present Mic roared, blowing back the villains that had managed to stand after previously being beaten down by Aizawa.

' _Looks like things are about to start changing around here…'_ Kasha thought, a small relieved smirk lifting her hidden lips.

"Regrettably we're late," Principal Nezu said from where he sat atop All Might's shoulder. "Do try and forgive us, hm?"

"I came back with all the people I could scrape together!" A familiar voice called out.

Many students found themselves smiling in relief at their peer who had come through for their sakes.

"Class 1-A representative Iida Tenya, reporting for duty!"

"Yes! Emergency Exit Iida for the win!" Kirishima crowed.

"Ugh. They came, they came..." Shigaraki groaned, cradling his bleeding hand with his other, curiously enough with his pinky lifted slightly. "It's nearing our game over screen..."

"Have no fear." All Might boomed. "For I have come."

"All Might!" Mineta cried on the sidelines, sniffling as snot dribbled out of his nose. "It's really you! We're saved!"

Just then Snipe released a hail of bullets on Kurogiri and Shigaraki, forcing them to evade as All Might blurred into action, running through the lingering villains around the facility like a hot knife through butter. Kasha was extremely humbled by the display of raw power and skill. While they'd been struggling to simply not die, here was All Might, saving the day with no effort at all.

' _I guess I really do have a long way to go huh?'_ Kasha thought. _'Well, it can't be helped for now.'_

The sunflower blonde titan of a man retrieved Aizawa-sensei and handed him off to Recovery Girl, who was standing back near the entrance with a handful of students that had been up there all along.

Kasha took a step back to regroup with Todoroki, Midoriya, Kirishima, and Bakugo as All Might squared off with Nomu, who's skin sizzled as it knitted itself back together and carbonized muscle tissue slowly respawned, fanning across its cheekbones. It also appeared as if its beak was regrowing, slowly sprouting from the area around its top set of grinding teeth.

"I thought his quirk was Shock Absorption." Kasha muttered, frowning faintly.

"I think it's pretty safe to say that fucker isn't normal Ghostface." Bakugo pointed out, scowling at All Might's back as the hero stood between him and their adversaries.

"Wait All Might!" Midoriya protested, green eyes big with unease. "You can't fight him alone, he's got multiple quirks! Super Regeneration and Shock Absorption!"

"Worry not Young Midoriya!" The blonde assured gallantly, offering a reassuring smile to the battered teen. "Have faith in me."

That seemed to completely floor the boy, his mouth snapping shut before he nodded, swallowing thickly.

"Ah, if it isn't Japan's most beloved hero." Shigaraki croaked, his arms and legs riddled with gushing bullet wounds. "You really kept me waiting, worthless trash."

All Might glared at Shigaraki and took a step towards Nomu, who the messy haired villain and Kurogiri were hiding behind.

"I had a bad feeling, so I cut my chat with the principal short and came over right away." All Might said, voice deep and devoid off all cheer. "I ran into Young Iida along the way."

The hidden hairs on Kasha's scarred arms stood on end. All Might sounded murderous. She could tell he absolutely _would not_ stand for the league's injustice. His righteous fury sent her respect for the hero skyrocketing.

"He told me the gist of what was going on." All Might continued, ripping off his tie. "And now, I am here."

A shiver skittered down Kasha's spine.

' _He's actually really cool like this.'_ She thought.

"That's an interesting expression you're wearing, _hero_." Shigaraki chuckled mockingly. "You look quite like you'd like to kill me."

All Might said nothing, just took another threatening step towards the intruders.

"Throwing punches to save people…" Shigaraki went on, gaining passion in his tone despite his wounds. "That's our state sanctioned violence for you. We're just doing what no one else will. Rising up against our corrupt sham of a government that lets brats get paid to beat misunderstood people into the ground."

"Don't speak as if you have some grand cause." All Might chided, apparently unable to hold his tongue at such dramatics. "You aren't here for some contrived injustice. You're here because you want to hurt people, and you like it."

"Ha, you've got me pegged eh?" The hand covered man rasped, tittering darkly. "Alright then. But you know… I have to say, you're fast."

Kasha felt disgust churning in her stomach. Shigaraki had just admitted that there was no true rhyme or reason to his actions. He truly just wanted to kill All Might and cause pain. It was repulsive. Kasha should've set him on fire instead of his egregious bird faced lapdog.

"You're too fast to keep up with, but not as fast as I expected." Shigaraki continued, his red eye arching behind the hand on his face with hideous glee. "Could it really be true…? That you're getting weaker?"

' _What…?'_ Kasha thought. _'I mean, I guess he's kind of up in age but he can still hold his own, right?'_

"Even if that were so, I am still more than a match for the likes of you." All Might declared, unknowingly settling Kasha's nerves before he launched himself at Nomu.

He moved so quick it blew all of the teen's standing behind him back a few steps.

"Detroit Smash!" All Might roared.

Nomu brought his arms up in an X-shape, blocking the attack. Despite this the monster was utterly unfazed by the blow.

' _If he wants to beat that thing he's gonna have to give it more than that.'_ Kasha found herself musing.

"Nomu," Shigaraki prompted.

The creature moved, and All Might ducked below its attempt at grappling him by a hairsbreadth.

"Let's get out of here." Kirishima suggested, looking between his companions. "The pros are here, and I'm sure All Might can handle the bird dude."

"Mm." Kasha nodded once. If they stayed in the plaza they might just get in the way.

"This is bullshit." Bakugo muttered, small pops ringing out from his palms as he glared. "I _had_ that warpy fuck!"

"Until you were forced to retreat." Todoroki pointed out.

"Jack off Half-n-Half." The blonde sneered.

"Now isn't the time guys." Midoriya placated. "Please."

"Tch. Shitty Deku." Bakugo growled. "Don't tell me what the hell to do!"

Kasha ignored them, shielding her face as All Might and Nomu clashed like titans, sending a shockwave throughout USJ.

' _My god they're monsters.'_ She thought, awed. _'And their attacks are so concentrated. My abilities are pathetic next to them!'_

But that realization didn't make her bitter. It just made her want to be better too. _Stronger_. Good enough to obliterate the man that had set her on her path just like All Might and Nomu could do if they so pleased.

"I'm leaving." Kasha intoned, slowly backing away from the battle. "Follow if you want."

Of course they didn't, but she didn't hesitate to turn and leave, activating her quirk so she could fly towards the trees that Ochako and the others were still hidden in.

The four she has left previously hiding in the tree line still remained in their previous positions. They still looked a little shaken up, not including Denki at the moment for obvious reasons, but they were also visibly relieved that their teachers had appeared to save them.

"I'm glad you're alright Yūrei-san." Yaoyorozu greeted, smiling slightly, even as she chided the other girl with, "That was quite reckless."

"Perhaps." Kasha offered softly, inclining her head.

"I'm just glad it freaking worked. Those guys out there are monsters." Jiro grumbled, twirling her left earphone jack around her finger.

"Kasha!" Ochako exclaimed, throwing herself into the arms of her taller friend.

The silver eyed teen blinked down at the brunette who hugged her close tightly, burying her face into her collarbones.

"Um." Kasha said.

The pink garbed girl pulled back and shook her fist at the taller teen.

"Don't you do something that crazy ever again!" Ochako huffed, puffing her cheeks out in indignation. "Especially without taking me with you!"

Kasha nearly snorted in amusement.

"Mm." She hummed, in a way that could suggest pretty much anything.

"Okay, so now that that's done, you guys ready to jet? Because I'm _so_ passed ready at this point." Jiro drawled.

"I think it would be better if we made our way towards the entrance as well." Yaoyorozu agreed, pointing towards the easiest path to the stairs. "If we take that way we won't get in All Might-san's way as he fights and we're less likely to run into trouble."

"I'm all for it. Let's go." Jiro muttered.

Ochako followed after Jiro and Yaoyorozu, and Kasha took it upon herself to grab Denki's hand again, trailing behind them as well.

"LET GO OF ALL MIGHT!"

Kasha's eyes bulged, white hair whirling as she turned swiftly with a choked gasp.

All Might appeared to have suplexed Nomu, but the blonde man was caught in one of Kurogiri's warp gates, and steadily being pulled, so much so it wouldn't take much for him to be torn asunder. Midoriya obviously knew that, and burst into attack mode, despite his everything _but_ stellar condition. Todoroki shot out a stream of ice, and Bakugo detonated an explosion, freeing the hero from his torment.

Kasha allowed her eyes to close briefly as she sighed in relief.

' _They'll be okay.'_ She told herself. _'They're not weak. And I doubt All Might will let himself be caught like that again.'_

She kept the corner of her eye on the battle as she continued on, leading Denki to safety behind the others. All Might traded blows with Nomu until he was completely dominating the other behemoth. Kasha, Denki, Ochako, Jiro and Yaoyorozu continued on in the trees as they made their way to the outskirts of the next zone.

"Now for a lesson." All Might growled. "You may have heard these words before… but I'll teach you what they _really_ mean!"

Kasha couldn't help lagging behind as she watched All Might stand tall, his shadowed blue eyes glowing with determination and _strength._

"Go Beyond…" All Might bellowed, slamming his fist into Nomu's gut. "PLUS… _ULTRAAAA!_ "

Kasha's mouth fell agape watching Nomu blast skyward and crash through the roof of USJ.

' _Everything is shaking!'_ She thought, watching large chunks of the ground scatter after the fact.

All Might had punched Nomu with enough force to freaking _detonate_. Nomu literally _exploded_ upon impact.

"Wow." She breathed, hair blown askew from the aftershocks of the hero's blow. "He did it."

Smoke obscured All Might from everyone's vision, and when it cleared, he alone was victorious.

"You cheated!" Shigaraki accused, outraged. "You fucking cheated! You cheater, how the hell did you do that—"

"You were right," All Might's voice rang across the plaza, loud and clear. "I have grown weaker."

"What!?" The League's leader exclaimed, unbelieving.

"In my heyday, I would have ended that in five mighty blows, but it took me over three hundred. Even so, you know what they say... An old hero can learn new tricks!" All Might declared.

' _Literally who said that?'_ Kasha thought blankly. _'No one. No one says that.'_

" _Weakened_?" Shigaraki seemed on the verge of hysteria. "You sent my Nomu into freaking _orbit_. We're clearly outmatched here… you damn cheaters! All Might hasn't weakened at all! Was I lied to…?"

"It's over, villain." All Might dismissed. "Now, how about we hurry this up? You've been bested."

Shigaraki took a step back, shaking his head slowly in denial before he seemed to reach a conclusion and barked, "Kurogiri!"

The gaseous man rippled slightly at his name, warping closer to his leader.

"Yes?"

"It's time to cut our losses." He snarled, lowering his head as he glared with pure hate at All Might through the fingers grasping his face. "But don't think this is over. I'm just hitting save and will continue later."

"Do what you must, but you will be stopped." All Might said gravely.

' _Wait, he's letting them get away?'_ Kasha thought. _'I mean, sure my classmates are still around the facility and are somewhat at risk but couldn't he just capture them now?'_

Kurogiri quickly shifted to form another portal. Shigaraki quickly darted into it, his form slowly sinking into the blackened mass.

"I may have failed here today, Symbol of Peace..." Shigaraki rasped within Kurogiri's portal. "But mark my words... the next time we meet, your shitty party and cheat codes won't save you. You're a dead man, All Might."

And with that, Kurogiri's warp gate swirled hypnotically, compressing before winking out of existence, Shigaraki vanishing along with it.

"They just fled?" Midnight wondered, shattering the somewhat apprehensive silence. "After such a dramatic invasion?"

"It's never that simple." Snipe said. "You heard that good for nothing. We haven't seen the last of them."

' _Maybe not.'_ Kasha thought, looking at Denki as she held his hand and tugged him along once more. _'So next time we'll just have to be ready.'_

* * *

Later, after the pros Iida had gathered escorted the scattered students of 1-A to safety, they were all back in their normal student uniforms and patched up if need be.

Ochako had been given something to settle her nervous stomach, and Kasha had been kissed by Recovery Girl, since the white haired teen's skin had taken on an irritated pink tone from overuse of her quirk. Aizawa-sensei was undergoing emergency surgery in the nurse's office.

Denki had come to around the time everyone had been loaded onto the school bus and taken back to U.A's main campus. Ochako had taken it upon herself to fill him in on the situation.

Classes for the rest of 1-A's school day had of course been cancelled after everything was said and done.

The teens had been asked a few questions by the police, and had their picture taken for a later News Story on television.

Currently Kasha was standing at U.A's front gate, almost everyone in her class had been taken home by their guardians save for Ochako, Denki, and Jiro.

Ochako said her parents wouldn't be able to make it since they lived a ways away, but she would wait until her friends all left before going home.

Kasha was looking more sleepy eyed than usual, both mentally and physically exhausted from the day's events.

"Hey Kasha?" Ochako spoke up.

The white haired teen turned to meet eyes with the shorter girl. The brunette held up her pink flip phone.

"Can I have your number?"

"Oh! Me too!" Denki piped up, turning with sparkling eyes as he pulled out his smartphone. "I want your number too, so let's trade."

"Uh?" Kasha said, sounding slightly confused.

"I know, it was kind of out of the blue, wasn't it?" Ochako chuckled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her head. "Today just had me thinking is all, we should be able to get in touch with each other if we need to. Plus, we're friends, so it only makes sense that we have each others contact info."

Kasha tilted her head to the side. She couldn't really argue with that, and it's not like she didn't find the idea somewhat appealing. The only number she had in her phone that wasn't Aunt Ryuko's cell and home phone or her job's landline was Camie's. And even though Kasha _still_ had no idea how Camie had gotten her information into her phone, she was the only other person Kasha's age in said sleepy eyed teen's phone. It would be nice to have other numbers in there of people she got along with.

"Okay." Kasha finally said, pulling her own smartphone out of her pocket.

It was large, sleek, black, and had a cool transparent galaxy patterned protective case on it. Jiro whistled a little from the sidelines, impressed.

"That's the newest model." She noted, eyeing the cell before meeting Kasha's eyes. "Huh. You learn something new everyday."

"What do you mean by that?" Denki asked, taking Kasha's phone and sliding it open. She didn't have it locked, so he easily put in his own contact information before handing it off to Ochako.

"Just that you're probably a rich girl, eh Yūrei?" Jiro drawled, offering a bland little smile.

"What?" Ochako choked, looking up from where she was slowly typing in her own information in Kasha's phone. "Really? Are you a rich kid like Iida-kun Kasha?"

Feeling a little put out by Jiro's tactless observations, Kasha shook her head a little.

"No. My Aunt is rich, and she's always getting me things like that." She explained, shrugging a little.

"Huh. Well either way, you now have my number and email!" Ochako chirped, bouncing closer and throwing her arm around Kasha's shoulder.

The silver eyed teen went a little wide eyed when the brunette held a peace sign next to her ever so slightly startled face and beamed into the camera of her phone, snapping a selfie of them both. Ochako pulled away with a giddy little giggle as she hastily set the picture as her contact photo in Kasha's cell.

"Aww, no fair I want one too!" Denki whined, getting behind Kasha and placing his fingers on her masked cheeks. "Quick Uraraka take a pic!"

Kasha felt Denki's fingers lift her hidden lips into a smile from behind, and he happily said 'cheese!' while Ochako did just that.

Kasha frowned a little, pushing his hands away from her and taking a step away. Ochako busied herself with no doubt setting the picture of Kasha and Denki as his contact photo in the fire user's phone. Jiro snorted in amusement, holding out her hand.

"Alright, I want in on this too." She said, offering Kasha one of her trademark small smiles. "You were really cool today, and you helped us out of some crap. So thanks. If it's okay, can I put my number in your phone too?"

Kasha blinked, surprised that anyone other than the happy go lucky Ochako and Denki wanted to be bothered with her on a more personal level.

"Um, okay?" Kasha agreed softly.

Jiro smirked, taking Kasha's phone as it was offered from Ochako, taking a selfie of herself before typing away across the screen at lightning speed.

"I'm just gonna memorize your number too and put it in mine." The purple haired girl muttered.

"Mm." Kasha hummed.

"Hey, put Kasha's number in my phone too." Denki asked, handing Jiro his phone.

"What, are you just as lazy as you are dumb?" She huffed, nevertheless taking Denki's phone to do just as he asked.

"You don't gotta come for me like that." He pouted.

"What do you mean? Aren't we getting along great? Yay~" Jiro mocked, snickering a little.

Kasha smirked as Ochako failed to quiet her giggles behind her hands.

"You and Kasha both, I _swear_ you're cold as ice." Denki complained.

Jiro held Kasha's phone out and the white haired girl took it with a quiet thanks.

"Aw don't be sad Kaminari it's all in good fun." Ochako smiled, patting him on the back.

"Yeah, at _my_ expense." He grumbled.

"Heya gravity girl, want me to put Kasha's number in your phone too?" Jiro asked cooly, ignoring the blonde boy.

"Yes please!" The brunette chirped, handing off her phone.

"Wow." Jiro blinked, flipping it open and typing away. "This is super retro, but I like it."

"Heh, thanks…" Ochako said, scratching at the back of her head somewhat nervously.

Kasha was confused by the reaction but it probably didn't mean anything.

"While I'm at it I'll put my number in too." Jiro said. "You can just text me later and I'll save your info."

"Okay!" Ochako agreed.

"Hey what about me?" Denki huffed, crossing his arms.

"You're kinda gross so I don't really want you to have my number." Jiro deadpanned.

Denki's mouth fell open and Kasha turned away, coughing into her fist to mask the laugh she couldn't smother down.

"So mean!" Denki wailed, eyes watering.

"Get those crocodile tears out of here you clown." Jiro snickered, handing a laughing Ochako back her phone.

"You'll give me your number at least, right Uraraka?" Denki whimpered, shakily holding up his phone with a trembling bottom lip.

"Yeah, gimme. I'm not _that_ mean." Ochako chuckled, taking his offered phone before handing it back after putting in her info. "Text me later and I'll save your number!"

"You're an angel Uraraka!" The blonde cried, falling to his knees. "Thank the stars for your existence!"

"Dummy." Kasha muttered.

"No truer words have ever been spoken." Jiro agreed, crossing her arms.

The silver eyed teen huffed quietly in amusement. After a few moments a sleek black car slowly pulled up, the passenger window rolling down to reveal a pretty bespectacled woman with dark hair in a bun and ears just like Jiro's.

"Kyoka!" She waved a little. "Time to go!"

"Oh, there's my ride." Jiro perked up a little. She turned, offering Kasha another little smile. "Guess I'll see you."

"Mm." Kasha nodded once, eyes crinkling a little at the corners. "See you."

"Bye Jiro!" Ochako said, waving.

"Huh? Oh, I guess we'll catch ya later Jiro." Denki said, as if he wasn't just groveling on the ground like an idiot. Jiro offered them a lazy little salute with two of her fingers and sauntered off, getting into the back seat of the vehicle.

"Sooo…" Denki said after the car drove off, catching a pair of brown and silver eyes. "What a day huh?"

"I'll say." Ochako groaned, shaking her head a little. "I'm just glad mostly everyone turned out okay."

"Mm." Kasha grunted. "Hopefully Aizawa-sensei will be okay. He was… pretty beat up."

A somber mood fell over the three remaining teens standing outside of the prestigious academy. Birds chirped off in the distance and the blue sky was much too carefree considering what had conspired beneath it little over an hour ago.

"Hey guys?" Ochako piped up, drawing eyes to her this time.

"Yeah?" Denki asked.

"I… I'm glad you're okay." She said, turning to give them a serious yet soft look. "I'm really glad you're okay."

"Yeah." Denki agreed. "Me too."

"Me… too." Kasha whispered, eyes falling to her feet.

' _I guess… we're really lucky we didn't die today, aren't we?'_ She thought grimly. _'Wow. I wonder… how things are going to be after this?'_

Because there was no doubt in Kasha's mind that there was now a blazing target across the backs of class 1-A. They'd survived a villain attack. There was no way they were getting a normal school life after such a feat.

' _Well, I guess it's pointless to muse on it now. Whatever comes, we'll just have to deal with it.'_

Kasha found she wasn't afraid. She wasn't often so anyway, not after _that day,_ the day she lost her parents, despite how strange that may be.

"Kasha?"

"Mm?" She startled a little at Denki's voice.

His gold eyes were a little concerned and confused as they studied her closely.

"You okay there buddy?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Just thinking."

"Oh." He said.

"Hey." Ochako piped up, smiling at them both, obviously not liking the weird mood they'd all fallen into. "Since classes for us have been canceled tomorrow and we're getting a long weekend, we should do something together. You know, hang out!"

"That's an awesome idea." Denki lit up, turning to Kasha. "Arcade! Let's go to the arcade! I owe Kasha an ass whooping on race cars and she can't weasel out of it 'cause she promised she wouldn't!"

"Eh?" The scarred teen blinked.

"I was thinking maybe... something not too expensive?" Ochako suggested uneasily.

"What? Did you blow through your allowance already or something?" Denki asked her, and then shook his head, deciding it didn't matter. "It's cool, if you need I got you covered."

"W-what?" The brunette spluttered. "No! I couldn't—"

"Don't worry about it." The blonde insisted, grinning. "We're friends, right? It's just the arcade it's not like I'm gonna buy the whole store or anything. We'll just goof off on a few games, and you'll get to see me put Kasha in a coffin while we play against each other."

"Okay," Kasha finally had enough. "You seem to think you've already won. Which is ridiculous."

"No," Denki smiled smugly. "It's a fact dearest Kasha. Why? Because no matter how good you _might_ be, I am the _king_ of video games and I will _completely serve_ you your ass at anything in an arcade."

"Oh?" Kasha cocked a brow at him as he continued to give her a smug look. "I guess we'll see tomorrow then won't we? Give me a time and a place and we'll see then who's getting served, Denki."

"Whoa, what's this competitive spirit you two have going on?" Ochako blinked, and then she grinned. "I like it!"

"It's settled then." The blonde boy smirked. "I'll send the details to you both, and we'll meet up tomorrow at like noon-ish. Deal?"

"Deal!" Ochako yelled.

"Hmph." Kasha crossed her arms.

The honk of a horn startled all three teens, causing them to look to their left down the street. A platinum blonde woman with pretty blue eyes poked her head out of the driver's side of a baby blue Tesla.

"Kasha!" Ryuko yelled, honking again in an utterly obnoxious manner. "Get that pale behind of yours in this car! Don't make me get out or I'll embarrass you in front of your cute little friends!"

Kasha felt her cheeks warm slightly and her shoulders hunched a little as Ochako and Denki both bugged out and turned to gape at her.

' _You're already embarrassing me you dinosaur!'_ She inwardly snarled, hiking her messenger bag higher up on her shoulder before beginning to make her way towards her aunt's car.

"We'll talk later." Kasha threw over her shoulder.

Denki and Ochako nodded slowly, mouths still at their feet as they watched her go.

"Kasha!" Ryuko called, honking some more.

"I'm _coming_." The teen hissed, ripping open the passenger side door and throwing herself into the seat. Kaji was nowhere in sight so she must've been back at Ryuko's place.

Said irritating blonde woman rolled up her window and shifted gears so the car was no longer in park, smirking at her niece.

"Your ears are looking a little red there kiddo." She pointed out. The witch.

"You did that on purpose." Kasha accused, huffing.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Ryuko asked, batting her lashes innocently.

Kasha almost rolled her eyes.

"Can you just drive and get me home before you turn to dust?"

"YOU BRAT!" Ryuko screeched, slapping her upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Serves you right! I'm eighteen years old at heart!"

"You're _ancient._ "

"WHY YOU—"

* * *

 **And with that our young heroes have survived the USJ Attack.**

 **What do you think? Should I write out them hanging out at the arcade? Did Kasha just make friends with Jiro? Hmmm...**


	12. After a Long Day

**Lol so apparently someone ships KashaXJiro now. That's cool I guess. No arcade scene this chapter but it'll be in the next one.**

 **My tumblr: xxkamuisenketsuxx**

 **I drew a picture of Kaji. It's shitty lol but idc.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia or Aikatsu Stars.**

* * *

Kasha recognized the road her Aunt was driving down as the blonde woman drove the teen home from U.A.

"Why're we going to my apartment?" Kasha asked, side eyeing the blue eyed hero. "I thought you would take me to yours."

"While I would love to ferret you away after the horrible day you must've had, I thought you'd appreciate it more if Kaji and I spent the night at your place instead." Ryuko explained, giving a fleeting wry glance to her fair haired niece. "U.A's a much longer commute from my place than yours and there was no way I was letting you "I'm fine" your way out of letting me and Kaji comfort you, nor ourselves after the scare we got today."

Kasha grimaced faintly. Yeah, that made sense. If Kasha would've been able to get away with it, she definitely would've just gone home to her apartment, called Ryuko and Kaji, told them she was fine, and slept like a rock until she couldn't get away with it anymore. Which reminded her, she needed to call her boss and let them know she was not going to make it into her shift after such a hectic day.

"Wait." Kasha perked up. "You brought Kaji to my place? She's already there?"

"Well, you gave both of us a key, I thought I might put them to use every once in awhile." Ryuko answered, chuckling a little.

"Hm." Was all the teen offered.

A small, warm smile lifted Kasha's hidden lips as something in her chest expanded and sent her heart all soft and fuzzy. It was only that very morning that Kasha had left her aunt Ryuko's after spending the night and reconciling with Kaji, but already the scarred teen was missing her baby sister. They'd had a heart to heart, and Kasha had left a note saying she'd see the seven year old soon.

' _Guess just a little sooner rather than later.'_ Kasha thought. _'Not that I'm complaining.'_

Ryuko pulled off the road to the right, into a more residential area with more narrow and clear streets. Kasha's apartment complex was only a short walk away, so the older hero parked her car alongside many others in a designated area and shut off the engine after placing the car in park. The sky was still blue and cloudless, as it was only around four in the afternoon at that point and Kasha was very ready to shower and put on some sweats to laze about. The teen undid her seatbelt and made to get out of Ryuko's car.

"Hey,"

Kasha paused, turning to look at the older female, tilting her head slightly in question.

"I'm really glad you're okay kiddo." Ryuko said softly, baby blue eyes gentle and relieved.

The teen really couldn't say she didn't understand where Ryuko was coming from. She wasn't surprised at all. How terrified must she have been to be called and told that her ward's class had been attacked by a gang of villains? Ryuko knew Kasha wasn't weak, but Taekwondo hadn't saved the teen and Kaji from being tortured by _that man_ and Kasha had yet to master using her quirk to its full potential in combat. It must've been horrible for Ryuko, who'd already lost her older brother to a villian and her sister in law. So even with her usual somewhat distant demeanor, Kasha couldn't do anything other than reach across the passenger seat she was in and wrap her arms around Ryuko. Had Kasha been in her Aunt's place, receiving such news she knew she wouldn't have been able to stand the worry.

Ryuko fiercely clutched the younger girl to her front, forcing Kasha's masked face into the side of her throat, pressing a kiss to the side of the teen's head. Kasha's white framed eyes fluttered shut, and she hugged back just as firmly when she heard her guardian suck in a shuddering breath.

"You know…" Ryuko began quietly. "You don't have to do this."

Kasha stiffened.

"Kasha, baby, you don't _have_ to be a hero." Ryuko went on. "You can become a Taekwondo world champion, like what you wanted before— before everything—"

"Changed?" Kasha finished, pulling away slightly so silver could meet baby blue.

Ryuko frowned.

"I'm not doing this just because I feel like I have to." Kasha explained, because apparently she hadn't given a good enough reason for why she did the things she did. Even if she didn't admit that she wanted to hunt down _that man_ she thought even still her aunt would've understood why without words. "I _want_ to, Aunt Ryu. I want to be stronger, so I can protect Kaji, so that she never has to cry thinking _he's_ going to come and take more things away from her. I… I want to feel… like I can take care of her. Right now I'm not— I _can't…_ "

"Oh Kasha," Ryuko sighed, pulling away to frame the teen's masked cheeks with gentle hands. The teen met the woman's eyes again, having previously torn her own away due to the storm of her emotions. "I can't tell you to not feel like you need to be able to take care of your sister. Even if you're still a kid and it's my job to care for you both, I know I can't change your mind on that. I just… I worry about you kiddo. Sometimes we're in the same room and I'm looking right at you but I _know_ you're not there."

It was Kasha's turn to suck in a shuddering breath, silver eyes going wide at her aunt's knowing, saddened gaze. She pulled Kasha's face closer and placed a kiss on the teen's forehead, letting her hands fall away from the girl's masked cheeks.

"I just…" Ryuko shook her head, deciding to just flat out say what she was feeling. "I'm afraid if you keep walking down this path you chose someday you really won't be there at all."

Kasha flinched.

The teen had no idea what to say to that, how to comfort Ryuko. Because as Pixie-Bob Ryuko knew best that heroes didn't always win. That sometimes they didn't return home to the people that would be waiting for them. The blonde woman had watched her teammate mourn her own hero duo family members after they were murdered, so she _knew_.

"I…" Kasha began, swallowing hard at the wet sheen she saw shimmer across baby blue irises. "Aunt Ryu I don't know what to say."

"I know you don't baby." Ryuko chuckled, voice thick as she visibly wrestled with her emotions. The woman shook her head, giving Kasha a more solid smile after a few pregnant moments. "Just promise me you'll always do your best, okay? And if you decide you're going to do something, and you _know_ it's right, you have to see it through 'til the end."

"Aunt Ryu…" Kasha said, her voice quiet and stunned.

"Promise me Kasha. _Promise_ you'll do what you have to and that you'll always try your best to come back home to us."

To Ryuko and Kaji. Her _family._

"I promise." Kasha nodded, throat closing up, having to look down into her lap because the emotions between them were too thick, the conversation was too heavy. It was making Kasha _really_ realize that she had been terribly lucky to have been picked up after school after the day she'd had with her classmates. Things could have easily been much more grim.

"Good." Ryuko said, nodding to herself, sounding perhaps a little helpless. "That's good."

The aunt and niece sat in the car for a long few moments, stewing in silence and the words they'd traded.

"Well," Ryuko perked up after a while, wiping not so discreetly at her eyes as she turned to her niece and grinned. "Let's get inside, huh kiddo? Can't just leave Kaji alone like that. I would've taken her with me but she was super stubborn about wanting to watch that cutesy singing anime she loves and waiting for you at home."

Kasha, appreciating the change in subject nodded in agreement and finally let herself out of the passenger side door, pushing it shut after grabbing her school bag. Ryuko locked up her Tesla and the two fair haired family members made their way down the street.

"So," Ryuko spoke up again, sounding delighted and eager to lighten the mood. "You were with two kids at the gates when I went to go get you..."

"Ah," Kasha said, seeing where the older woman was going. "Yeah, that was Ochako and Denki. I guess… I made some friends?"

The willowy teen smirked faintly to herself because she could imagine perfectly, the both of them pouting and whining at her for saying 'I guess'. Because Kasha knew damn well they were her friends, (however much she'd told herself she didn't care either way at the beginning). They hadn't known each other long by any sense of the word, but they'd known each other long enough to know that they enjoyed the company of one another.

"Oh ho ho? Ms. Edge Queen made such cheerful looking friends at her fancy new school did she?" The hero snickered, giving Kasha a cat-like smile behind her hand.

"Stop acting like I'm rude to people." Kasha rolled her eyes. "I just mind my own business. Mostly."

As long as something she couldn't stand wasn't going down Kasha mostly minded her own business… Okay, so she could be really nosy. And maybe a little self righteous. It was a work in progress okay?

"I know." Ryuko seemed to sober, causing Kasha to blink in surprise. "You just— you know your old friends still call to ask me about you sometimes…"

The teen's expression completely closed off at that. Yeah. She'd been a little more outgoing before _that man_ ripped everything apart in her life, and Kasha had actually had friends and acquaintances like most normal teenage girls. After her parents had died… she'd just sort of grew apart from them. She knew her more dour demeanor had put them off, and plus… the pitying looks had done absolutely nothing for her in terms of wanting to stay connected to those people. It had stung at first, not being around people she had spent so much time with, but… well, not as much as seeing her parents dead and covered in their own blood.

Kasha had gotten by just going to the Dojo to train and working at Sugar Stop with Camie. Now she had new friends who were none the wiser to her tragic backstory and if she had her way it would stay like that for a while yet.

Kasha hadn't known, but recently she had figured out that she'd missed being normal, even if she knew she would never be anything close to the word ever again.

"Saiko misses you, you know." Ryuko went on. "She called me a while back. I told her you got into U.A…"

"Oh yeah?" Kasha offered blandly, not really caring. "Cool."

So Saiko felt guilty and still asked about her alongside the lackeys that had been following her around for as long as Kasha had known her. That was what Ryuko meant by friends. And at some point, Kasha had thought of them as her friends. But Saiko was the first one to make Kasha understand that she'd never be normal again.

Despite all the other girl's intelligence, she had absolutely no tact on an emotional standpoint. She had always brought up the fact that Kasha's parents were dead, making Kasha feel anything but normal, like she'd become some sort of charity case to interact with. And as usual Kasha's other 'friends' had followed suit with the trend. Of _course_ the white haired teen had grown apart from them. Honestly, she'd thought Saiko and co. would have given up "checking up" on her at this point.

"Kasha," Ryuko chided as they neared the teen's apartment complex.

"No." Kasha huffed. "Just tell her to stop calling. We're both doing our own thing now. She has her friends, now I have mine."

"At some point she was your _best_ friend kiddo. So you can imagine why I'm worried about you guys not at least talking to each other to clear the air." Ryuko said, obviously not charmed by how stubborn the teen was being.

"Things changed, and she _didn't._ " Kasha said. "She doesn't know how to act and I'm not dealing with that. She'll get over feeling guilty about being tactless, but it's really not my problem."

Ryuko sighed, because they'd had the argument before and Kasha had yet to fold on her standing. And it was going to stay that way.

"Alright." The blonde conceded, shaking her head.

"Hmph." Kasha grunted.

They entered the gated community of Kasha's apartment complex, which had tall cream colored walls around it and an inviting grassy front lawn leading off to the many beige units with black painted iron railings bordering concrete staircases.

"Anway," Ryuko began once again anew. "Your new friends, what are they like?"

The white haired teen felt her lips twitch a little at the thought of the two balls of positive energy she called friends. This was something she didn't mind talking about. Maybe Kasha wasn't a super talkative type, but she just had a different level of comfort where her family was concerned.

"Well, Ochako is the girl, she's really energetic and friendly." Kasha began, eager to forget about Saiko. "Denki is just as friendly, but he's sort of sly, always making jokes and checking out girls."

And yeah, Kasha wasn't obtuse in any sense of the word. She'd caught Denki's eyes sliding over her legs a time or two, and he seemed to get along swell with Mineta. Not that Kasha particularly cared. Dudes were just dudes sometimes. And sometimes dudes were just _more_ in tune with their… dudeness. The silver eyed girl snorted as she watched Ryuko's eyebrows look about ready to fly off of her forehead. With a half hearted shrug, Kasha reached into one of the many pockets on her black messenger bag to pull out her keys.

"They sound fun." Ryuko offered, side eyeing the silver eyed girl. "Maybe a little… different than you?"

"Hmph." Kasha snorted humorously. "Go ahead and say it. I'm boring and they're not, so how are we friends?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ryuko exclaimed, eyes bugging out. "You've always just been a little more down to Earth, maybe a little competitive when you really get going but I've never known you to be a goofball."

"Mm." Kasha hummed, nodding as she began ascending the concrete stairs to her apartment door. "That's true. Even before everything changed, I've never been much of a social butterfly, but I've always been able to get along with people when I want to."

The teen inserted her key into the lock of her dark wooden front door, going through the process of unlocking it.

"Yeah, I thought that was why you always got along so well with those uppity intelligent types, since you're all pragmatic but easy going at the same time." Ryuko said.

Kasha snorted again. Her Aunt was right, Saiko had been her best friend and had been so for years, and she _was_ an uppity intelligent type. But like Kasha had said, things had changed and Saiko didn't, so they'd had to go their separate ways. Kasha wasn't as approachable as she had been two years ago, and she was a lot more cutthroat with her speech than before, not having the patience to try and be soft anymore as a go to strategy. Though she still recognized that certain situations did call for gentle hands, and she wasn't averse to that fact. Anyway, she was more melancholy in general, maybe a little more sarcastic, but otherwise she had retained a lot of her core qualities.

"You also have this sort of dry humor about you kid, so maybe getting along with friendly goofy types isn't such a long shot?" The pro hero mused aloud. "Maybe you guys balance eachother out?"

"I dunno." Kasha shrugged, pushing the front door open and stepping inside, hearing a familiar song coming from the living room TV. "I like them, and they like me for some reason. It works for us."

"Well, as long as you're happy." Ryuko offered.

"Nee-chan! Aunt Ri-ri!" Kaji exclaimed, turning around from her place in front of the TV and offering a beaming smile.

"Heya squirt, good job holding down the fort!" Ryuko greeted cheerfully, closing and locking the door after them.

"Hi Kaji." Kasha waved, eyes crinkling at the corners happily before she bent down and made to undo her boots.

"Hi Nee-chan, are you okay?" The little girl asked, padding over in her thigh high white socks. She was wearing a little blue seifuku with a red tie, and her ombré hair was done up in its usually fluffy mimicry of Kasha's trademark hairstyle. Kasha's eyes warmed exponentially as her sister neared, flicking the little girl gently on her button nose, causing said adorable appendage to wrinkle in distaste.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking Kaji-chan." Kasha murmured, heart swelling when her sister puffed her cheeks up in a pout.

"Nee-chan is horrible!" She complained, crossing her arms. "Don't bully me."

"Who's bullying you?" Kasha scoffed gently, a wry lilt in her tone. "I'm just saying 'hi'."

"Then give me a hug or a kiss like a normal person, stupid Nee." Kaji scolded.

The teen snorted humorously, tucked her keys back into her backpack, pulling said black bag off and setting it aside near her boots.

"You two are too cute." Ryuko cooed, planting a loud smooch onto Kasha's masked cheek before swooping down to give the same treatment to Kaji before walking off. Kasha scowled mutely as her younger sister smiled at the gross affection.

"See, be normal like Aunt Ri-ri." Kaji said.

"If _she's_ what you consider normal I am immensely concerned for your mental health imouto."

"HEY!" Ryuko screeched, somewhere behind the refrigerator door. Searching for a snack no doubt.

Kasha's sister snickered behind her hand, very well versed in the dynamics of the teen's relationship with their paternal Aunt.

"Hey," Kasha said, calling for Ryuko's attention as the teen made her way to the living room to plop down on her couch. "Before I forget, can I hang out with Ochako and Denki tomorrow at the arcade?"

"Who're they?" Kaji blinked curiously, leaping onto the cushions beside the teen.

"Classmates." Kasha answered.

"Ohhhh." Kaji nodded slowly.

"What?" Ryuko huffed from the kitchen, snagging the teen's attention again after closing the fridge and setting aside a bottle of something she'd grabbed from within. The pro hero crossed her arms and turned to give Kasha a mulish, thoughtful look. "You just told me about these kids and I don't know them from the man on the moon, now you want to run off with them when I haven't even met them? _And_ after you called me ancient!?"

"You're still holding a grudge over that?" Kasha blinked, having completely forgotten how she'd snarked at Ryuko in the car earlier.

"Who's holding a grudge you little punk?" Ryuko smiled sweetly, eyes arching closed.

"Uh, definitely not some bitter old wind bag." Kasha offered, hidden lips twitching as they threatened to spread into a wicked smirk.

"You brat I should tell you no just for back sassing me like that!" The blonde yelled, shaking her fist.

Kasha bit the inside of her cheek, unsure. Maybe taunting her Aunt while asking her for something wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do... But thankfully Ryuko sighed in defeat, pulling the teen from her thoughts.

"Well, you never ask me for anything…" The pro hero muttered, chewing on her bottom lip. Shaking her head, the blonde woman decided, "Yeah, you can go. But I want to meet these kids _very_ soon, you get me? And I want to know where you're going of course."

Happiness filled Kasha's chest to the brim, as well as a hint of butterflies in her stomach. It startled her. It'd been a long time since she'd gotten excited about going out with classmates to just… be.

' _As long as I don't let myself get too distracted it should be fine.'_ She reminded herself, blinking when she realized she'd zoned out a little.

"Um, okay." Kasha finally said, knowing the weird look her aunt gave her was well deserved. "I don't know exactly where we're supposed to be going yet, but Denki said he'd text me a location and time later today."

"Well that's fine then." Ryuko said, turning back to look through Kasha's cupboards.

"Thank you." The teen answered sincerely.

"Yeah yeah, don't say I never do anything for ya squirt." The blonde grumbled.

The white haired teen felt a tap on her shoulder, pulling her attention back over to her younger sister who had admirably let the older females converse with no fuss.

"Yes? What is it Kaji?" Kasha asked.

"Nee-chan, do you wanna play Idol with me?" Kaji asked eagerly, nearly bouncing in place as she looked up at her sister with her pretty, innocent, and round silver eyes.

Kasha sighed fondly. "Idol" was a popular game between the sisters before Kasha had started distancing herself. Like Kasha took Taekwondo since she could walk, Kaji had taken dance, but she also had a talent for singing, as well as a passion for performing; so she desired to be a pop star or idol when she grew up. She'd often performed for Kasha and their parents, and even had Kasha sing and dance with her for fun. Kasha could somewhat dance and sing too, but she was much better at kicking ass if she did say so herself. Those other things were honestly more Kaji's talents than her own.

"Well, it has been awhile…" The teen mused, stroking her masked chin in thought.

"Yeah Nee-chan, it's been too long!" Kaji huffed, pouting. "I want to play with you, can we play? Pleeeeeease?"

Kasha pursed her lips. She'd had a long ass day and she was more tired than she was letting herself consciously admit, but she'd literally just reconciled with her sister the day before… so she really didn't want to fuck things up again. If Kaji was willing to give her another chance at being a _good_ big sister without making her pay for being a douche like Kasha deserved... then the teen was damn well _not_ going to complain.

"Okay, we can play Idol—"

"YAY!"

"— but we're only singing a short version of whatever _one_ song you pick Kaji. Nee-chan would really like to lay down and cuddle with you because she's had a long day." The teen continued without missing a beat.

Kaji harrumphed, puffing her cheeks out again and crossing her arms. Though the young girl soon nodded in agreement after expressing her displeasure.

"Okay Nee-chan. Just one song then." She conceded.

Kasha could feel relief flush through her entire body at her sister's agreement. Kaji could after all, be quite stubborn. (Just like her older sister).

"What song do you want us to sing?" Kasha asked.

"I wanna sing something Yume-chan and Hime-chan sang together in the show!" Kaji chirped.

"Of course you do." Kasha chuckled.

Yume and Hime were characters from an anime called Aikatsu Stars that Kaji absolutely adored. They were her favorite two idols in the show, which happened to be about young girls going to a school to become famous idols. Kaji often forced Kasha to be Hime when they played Idol while the younger of them played as Yume. Not that Kasha minded, her singing voice sounded pretty similar to the actual voice of Hime anyway. Kaji scrambled up and headed closer to the tv to get them started for their "performance".

"You girls gonna start goofing off?" Ryuko asked from the kitchen, leaving the compact area of the apartment with a blueberry ranmu bottle in hand and a bag of shrimp chips.

"I'm gonna play Idol with Nee-chan," Kaji informed their aunt imperiously, already clicking away on the remote to Kasha's smart tv, opening up the internet to search up a karaoke version of the song she desired to sing on HeroTube. Kasha stood from the couch, starting to stretch a little.

"Oh yeah?" Ryuko asked indulgently, trading a fond look with Kasha as she plopped down on the couch to dig into her snack. "Whatcha gonna sing?"

"So Beautiful Story!" Kaji chirped, turning around to grin at Kasha. "C'mon Nee-chan, take off that silly mask so Aunt Ri-ri can see you smile while we sing!"

Kasha hesitated, frowning a little. She still didn't really want to take off her mask around Kaji, but she was in a pretty good mood, so she knew she wasn't looking miserable enough to make the younger girl uncomfortable.

' _I'll just pull it down so they can see my face but not my neck.'_

Kasha knew if Kaji saw the starburst scar across the teen's throat the young girl would collapse into a panic attack. It had happened before. So with that in mind, Kasha gave Ryuko an uncertain look, reaching up to curl her finger around the edge of her mask. Her Aunt pursed her lips, but didn't protest at all, even knowing why Kasha was so hesitant. She knew why Kasha wore a mask but she still hated it and preferred the teen to be bare faced.

"Nee-chan!" Kaji whined.

"Alright alright," Kasha placated in what Ryuko referred to as her "ara ara" voice.

The teen tugged the dark fabric down smooth cheeks, revealing a button nose and full lips, leaving the fabric to bunch around the underside of her chin.

"Yay!" Kaji cheered, fist pumping.

Kasha rolled her eyes faintly, shaking her head.

"Don't be dramatic Kaji."

"I'm _not_. You're always playing ninja when you should be wearing pretty clothes because you're _super_ pretty." The seven year old huffed, wagging her finger at the teen.

"Hmph." Kasha grunted, crossing her arms even as she felt a pale rose stain her bared cheeks. "I'm not playing ninja, I have a good reason for wearing it."

"What's the reason then?" The child challenged, raising her eyebrows.

Kasha froze, all traces of color draining out of her face as quickly as it'd appeared.

"UM." Ryuko croaked loudly, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Kasha, Kaji, I thought you two were going to play Idol?"

"Oh yeah, we were!" Kaji laughed, rapping her knuckles lightly against her own temple at her silliness. "C'mon Nee-chan. You said one song so we're gonna sing my favorite!"

"Okay." Kasha agreed, throwing a grateful look over her shoulder at her Aunt Ryuko, who simply winked slyly and offered a thumbs up. Goofball.

Kaji selected the karaoke short version of So Beautiful Story, and the two sisters stood side by side. A disclaimer popped up onto the screen, and Kasha took a moment to take a deep breath and center herself.

When the screen blanked out Kasha got into position, feet together, and holding her hands before her as if carrying a beloved memory book. Kaji mirrored her stance at her left. When the twinkling keys of a piano began, Kasha sang as one with her sister, miming the gesture of turning the pages of a book as rainbow lyrics trailed across the tv screen.

" _Page wo mekuru tabi ni atarashī kimi ga iru ne…"_

Piano and percussion came in strong, and the pretend book disappeared as the sisters clasped their hands together before their chests, sashaying closer to the tv screen.

" _Nakitai asa ni wa niji saku hanazono_

 _Hitorikiri kokoro no hotori tatazumi rinto suru no_

 _Mahiru no sora ni mo magirenai hikari de_

 _Hohoenda sono yokogao ni hikarete shimau yo_

 _Sebyōshi ni kizamu yume no title wa_

 _Nani yori fusawashī kimi no namae…"_

They both twirled around the living room, going through a well known dance routine, though Kaji was much more graceful than Kasha since she actually practiced ballet. Kasha didn't care for that though, she was simply having fun playing with her sister, so she came in strong with the next line of the song.

" _Sekai de hitotsu no monogatari ni tachiaeru kiseki_

 _Page wo mekuru tabi ni shiranai kimochi wo kureru_

 _Zutto oikaketetai Your story..."_

They both turned on their heels, clasping their hands before their chests and wistfully looked skyward.

Ryuko whistled obnoxiously after the song ended and clapped like the proud and overly affectionate guardian she was. Kaji threw herself into Kasha's arms, grinning from ear to ear and giggling happily.

"One more Nee-chan, lets sing one more song!"

"Kaji you agreed to just one." Kasha complained, allowing herself to fall on her butt, her sister sprawling across her lap with a yelp. Huffing, Kaji arranged herself in the older girl's lap so that they were face to face, looking equal amounts displeased and adorable.

"I still want to play with you Nee-chan. Please just _one_ more?" She wheedled. "We can even sing your favorite Aikatsu song this time!"

"As tempting as that is," Kasha began dryly. "I wanna take a shower and lay down. Don't you wanna lay down with me? We can watch Aikatsu together if you want, I just don't want to move anymore."

"PU- _LEAZE_!" Kaji bemoaned, throwing her arms around Kasha's neck and snuggling up under the teen's chin.

"Ugh." Kasha groaned.

"Nee-chan is horrible." Kaji complained.

"Nee-chan is tired and I told you that Kaji." Kasha reminded her, unimpressed.

The seven year old hugged Kasha a little tighter and whined a little into her still covered neck.

"Kasha Onee-chan…" Kaji mumbled, disappointed.

"Oh come on Kasha throw the squirt a bone it's just one more song." Ryuko butted in, ever the smooth one in their family.

Kasha rolled her eyes to the point of pain.

"You were going on about what a hard day I had a few minutes ago and now you want to work me like a mule?" Kasha grumbled.

"Girl bye, I'm a pro hero you don't know nothin' about being worked like a mule." Ryuko scoffed, waving the teen away. "Now play with your sister and then the _both_ of you need to take a bath after."

"Awww Aunt Ri-ri do I have to?" Kaji asked.

"Yes." Ryuko said flatly.

Kasha gave the woman an equally flat look but Ryuko was nothing of not completely on a different level of BAMF. The teen just looked away with a sigh and gently nudged Kaji out of her lap. The seven year old beamed.

"Are you gonna pick a song Nee-chan?" She asked happily.

"Yeah yeah," Kasha said begrudgingly, fighting off a smile. "Turn on Start Line, that one's my favorite."

"Yes!" Kaji fist pumped, scrambling to get the remote she had set aside.

The two sisters performed the next karaoke version of the Aikatsu song Start Line, and since the dance that went along with the energetic song was just as colorful as the lyrics and tone Kasha was straight up beat afterward. The teen collapsed on her butt again and then flopped down onto her back. Her heart was thumping strongly in her chest and she was a little short of breath, a small amount of sweat lining her fair brows.

"Oh, I guess you _were_ tired huh Kasha-nee?" Kaji asked curiously, looking down at the teen. "You're never tired like that after we play Idol."

Yeah, well usually when they play Idol Kasha hadn't been running around kicking the teeth and ribs in of murder happy villains previously. But Kaji didn't need to know all of that.

"Remember I had a long day? I had to fight while practicing being a hero today, so I'm a little tired from that." Kasha explained.

"Oh yeah, Aunt Ri-ri said you worked really hard in your hero class today and that we should visit you so that you feel all better for tomorrow." Kaji said, lowering herself so that she could sit criss cross applesauce beside her spread eagle sister.

"She did huh?" Kasha asked indulgently, giving her sister a soft eyed look. "Well, thanks for checking on me."

"You're welcome!" Kaji smiled.

Ryuko had gone off to tinker around in the kitchen sometime in the middle of their second song, and Kasha could already smell the woman working on something savory at the stove. The teen's empty stomach gave an interested rumble at the thought.

"Well," Kasha sighed, forcing herself into a sitting position, looking at her sister. "Let's go take a bath before Aunt Ryuko gets mad."

"Hmm, okay!" Kaji scrambled up and rushed off further into the teen's apartment.

Shaking her head fondly, Kasha followed at a more moderate pace.

* * *

After washing the day's worth of dirt off of herself on a stool Kasha helped Kaji do so as well before they both got into the bubble bath the teen had set up for them. The whole time Kasha made Kaji face away from her so the young girl wouldn't get a glimpse of her scars.

Now they were sitting in Kasha's tub with both of their hair down and waterlogged, slicked back away from their foreheads. Kaji sat between Kasha's legs with her back to the teen's front, and the seven year old fiddled around with a bubblegum pink rubber duck. Kasha leaned back against the basin of the tub, staring up at her plain white bathroom ceiling, enjoying the soothingly warm bath water as she soaked her worked out muscles.

"Nee-chan?" Kaji called softly.

The hesitant tone immediately put the silver eyed teen on alert, and she sat up, pursing her lips.

"What's the matter?"

"Do you… do like going to school to be a hero?" Kaji asked.

Floored, Kasha stared at the back of her sister's platinum blonde hair, its white tips leading into the bubbly bath water they shared.

"Kasha Onee-chan?" Kaji called, startling the teen.

"Oh." Kasha breathed, scrambling to regain her bearings. "Oh I… yes. I do. I like training to be a hero."

"Really?" Kaji asked, not turning around. But there was something in her tone, a soft sort of apprehension that put a furrow between Kasha's white brows.

"Kaji, what are you getting at?" The teen asked firmly.

"I wanna know if you _really_ like going to school to be a hero." The little girl admitted, and the guilt in her tone twisted Kasha's heart up in knots.

It was like she thought doubting Kasha's decisions was wrong. But there wasn't anything wrong with wanting to understand her older sister better. Nothing wrong with questioning things that didn't make sense to her.

"What makes you say that Kaji?" Kasha asked carefully.

"I dunno." Kaji lied, shrugging.

Kasha leaned closer to her sister, cupping the child's chin tenderly from behind and slowly tilting it up, so that identical silver eyes could meet.

"Tell me," Kasha urged softly. "I can't make it better if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Kaji pulled away from the teen's hands, and Kasha allowed her to, quickly wrapping a few locks of long white hair around her throat to hide the slash there as the seven year old turned around to face her. Their eyes met once more as they sat face to face in the bathtub. Kasha couldn't quite discern what her sister was feeling, but she knew it wasn't positive by any means.

"Nee-chan, you can't make it better because you don't want to." Kaji stated, pursing her lips.

"What? Why would you say that?" Kasha asked, frowning. "Of _course_ I want to make it better."

"Nu uh." Kaji frowned, huffing. "You told me that you want to be a hero to protect me. You said you like being a hero, even though I don't want you to be one. So how can you make it better if you're not gonna stop trying to be a hero?"

Oh.

Oh god.

"Kaji…" Kasha breathed, reaching out to cup her sister's cheeks with gentle, loving hands. The seven year old tried to turn away, but Kasha wasn't having any of it.

"Why don't you want me to be a hero?" Kasha asked, wanting to understand. "Don't you know if I'm a hero I'll be strong and I can protect us both?"

"But you're never gonna be at home!" Kaji protested, finally getting fed up and pushing Kasha's hands away.

The teen's heart shattered when she saw her sister's bottom lip tremble and her eyes shimmer with a hint of tears.

"That isn't true, Aunt Ryuko is a hero and you see her all the time." Kasha soothed, reaching for her sister again.

"No!" Kaji slapped her hands away and slunk backwards, bathwater sloshing loudly between them as the child forced herself to the other end of the tub. The rejection stung, but Kasha couldn't focus on that. She needed to fix Kaji's bleak mentality somehow.

"Kaji—"

"Kouta-kun said heroes are dumb!" Kaji exclaimed, flooring the teen yet again as fat tears spilled out of her eyes and her cheeks flushed with her upset. "He said that heroes and villains just fight and kill each other, and he said when you become a hero you're gonna die just like his parents did! You're never gonna be here and I'm gonna be all alo—"

"KAJI!" Kasha barked.

The child flinched at the uncharacteristic harsh tone from the teen, but Kasha wouldn't allow herself to falter.

"Don't you ever say that!" Kasha snapped. "Don't you ever even _think—_ not for a _second_ that I would leave you alone! I would _never_ let that happen."

"Nee-chan?" Kaji croaked, wide eyed.

"That's _why_ I need to get strong, so that I won't ever leave you like that." Kasha explained, allowing herself to calm, not wanting to frighten her sister more than she already had.

She hated raising her voice at Kaji but she couldn't _stand_ to hear her sister talk like that. Kasha knew Kouta. Not as well as Kaji since the seven year old spent a lot more time with their Aunt Ryuko and her hero partners, but even still. The teen was definitely acquainted with Kouta's cynical outlook on heroes and villains and the way they used their quirks. He was only five, so it was understandable how he'd become so warped after his parents, the Water Hose hero duo were brutally murdered while on duty. Kasha had gotten along well enough with the dour little boy, but it appeared while she'd been absent and he learned about her becoming a hero he didn't bother holding back his opinions for Kaji's sake.

It didn't matter to him that Kasha's and Kaji's parents were dead too. All that mattered was that his parents were heroes and they'd left him behind.

Kasha was aiming to be a hero so he'd naturally concluded that she'd leave Kaji behind too. He'd also assumed that Ryuko and Sosaki Shino, his guardian, would die too so long as they were heroes still.

Kasha sighed.

"Is that what you were talking about yesterday, when we were fighting?" Kasha asked quietly, studying the seven year old shrewdly. "You said it yesterday too that you didn't want me to be a hero. You said you wanted me to be home. Is it because of the things you're thinking about now?"

"Yeah." Kaji looked away. "Kouta-kun has been saying you're going to die like an idiot since I told him you got into U.A to become a hero like Aunt Ri-ri. That's why I was so mad you never came home. I thought you were never gonna come back just like Kouta-kun said."

"Oh Kaji." Kasha said mournfully. It was all starting to make even more sense, and Kasha _hated_ it.

"I don't want you to leave me like Papa and Mama." She sniffled, fresh tears spilling down her face. "They weren't heroes but they left. If you're a hero you'll leave too. How come everyone has to leave?"

"Kaji… no. _No._ " Kasha shook her head as she spoke firmly. "Mom and Dad… they didn't leave because of something they did. It was because of that _horrible_ man. But I'm telling you, just because I'm going to be a hero, doesn't mean I'll leave you behind."

"How do you know?" Kaji asked accusingly, face scrunching up.

"Because I know I'd never leave you or Aunt Ryuko behind like that." Kasha stated boldly. "How can I protect you if I'm gone? Don't I always do what I tell you I'm going to do?"

"...yes." Kaji murmured, eyes sweeping low.

"And what did I tell you?" Kasha asked, ducking her head to catch identical silver eyes.

"That you'll protect me." Kaji whispered, whimpering.

"So believe me." Kasha urged, reaching out both of her hands, catching the seven year old's attention with the beckoning gesture. "Believe in your Nee-chan, and she _promises_ she won't leave you."

Kasha knew it was irresponsible to promise something she had absolutely no control over. That there was no way to be sure if she'd always make it back home, but she did know she had no intention to make a liar out of herself. She knew no matter how disgraceful she would always keep struggling with _everything_ she had to make it back home to her family. They were her reason for being, and she downright refused to just let someone else have a say in her fate.

Kaji must've read something in Kasha's silent gaze, because the little girl drifted closer again and took her sister's hands. Smiling sweetly, Kasha reeled Kaji in and wrapped her arms around her.

"Nee-chan, you're warm." Kaji mumbled.

"Mhm." Kasha hummed, cheek resting on top of the little girl's head.

"Nee-chan, you smiled at me." Kaji spoke again, hugging the taller girl tighter. "I want you to always smile at me like that. Like before."

Before their parents had died.

Kasha wished she could do that. But… she just wasn't the same as before. That's why she wore the mask. The teen couldn't do as Kaji wished.

"I'll do my best." Was all Kasha could say.

That would have to suffice.

* * *

After their bath, the sisters decided to laze about in Kasha's bedroom. Kaji was dressed in an oversized light yellow T-shirt on loan from the teen, and Kasha wore a long sleeved pastel blue shirt with matching sweatpants.

Kaji had dozed off shortly after snuggling into Kasha's side, and the teen decided to allow the seven year old to sleep just a bit before Ryuko called them for dinner. Kasha was lying on her back on her galaxy patterned comforter, looking up at the glow in the dark stars on her ceiling.

She'd already called her boss to tell them she wouldn't be showing up for her shift, giving them the news about what happened at school. To the teen's surprise she was given the following week off no questions asked. Kasha was happy to not have to work, but she knew she was going to notice a difference in her paycheck come payday.

"Well, since the boss won't let me come in I guess I could take the opportunity to train more at the Dojo." Kasha muttered.

Since getting into U.A she hadn't had too much time for Taekwondo. Paired with her part time job Kasha was admittedly slacking on her chosen sport. Though getting attacked by villains had sucked at least she'd be able to take some time for herself as a result. Before Kasha could think more about that, she felt her phone buzz at her side.

"Maybe it's Denki." She mumbled, bringing the device to her face.

Kasha's eyebrows rose high up on her head when she saw it wasn't who she was expecting in any way.

 **New Message, From Camie:** _Okay, so I'm a little butthurt rn fam._

"Definitely _not_ Denki." Kasha snorted, typing out her reply.

 **New Message, Sent You:** _What are you talking about?_

 **Camie:** _Bruh, I just saw u on da news. Why didn't u freaking tell me u were in the hero course at U of freaking A!? And wtf, u were almost bodied by a bunch of villains?_

Kasha blinked. The press really wasn't playing around with being in the know about U.A since All Might had started working there. It was actually kind of amazing. Perhaps slightly in a sad way.

 **You:** _Wow, it's already on the news?_

 **Camie:** _Sus, stop playin what's tha tea?_

 **You:** _?_

 **Camie:** _What happened!? Are u ok? Do I need to demand ur address from our boss so I can check on u?_

 **You:** _NO. You do NOT need to do that. I'm fine. No one was seriously injured accept for our homeroom teacher. The police said we were lucky._

 **Camie:** _Dang, that's not even low key scary… that's just scary fam._

 **You:** _We survived. So it's fine I guess._

 **Camie:** _I should've known u would b like tht. It's Kasha after all, lol. I'm happy ur not dead girl._

The silver eyed teen snorted at this, quickly sending her fawn haired co-worker her reply.

 **You:** _Yeah, me too._

 **Camie:** _Lol call me or text me if u want. We gotta hang out sometime and u need to stop dodging me! We. Are. Friends._

Kasha paused, staring at her glowing phone screen for a long few moments. It's not like she disliked Camie or anything. Admittedly the silver eyed girl could be a little snippy with her co-worker, but Camie had a big mouth, so she just reacted to that. Still, Kasha didn't _not_ like the other girl, and they made working at Sugar Stop fun for each other when they could get away with it. Apparently Camie really did consider them friends and not just acquaintances, so it was fine wasn't it?

Kasha was going to hang out with Denki and Ochako soon. She'd exchanged numbers with Jiro. Maybe she should give Camie a chance? It wasn't the first time the girl had asked to hang out, but since Kasha had started going to U.A she was finding that she really didn't mind company outside of her family as much as she made it seem. There was no harm in going with it. If she hated hanging with Camie they could just go back to being "chill" co-workers.

Nodding to herself after coming to a conclusion, Kasha bit her bare lips and tentatively typed out her reply.

 **You:** _Um. Okay._

The reply was immediate.

 **Camie:** _WhAt! U FOR sEriOUS!?_

 **You:** _Stop with the all caps it's weird. Yes. We're friends okay? Don't expect a love letter._

 **Camie:** _Ctfu. U hella cold tbh. But I wuv u Kasha. Shit! I gotta get back to work tho 'cause I'm still on the clock lol. Text me later._ ヽ(*з*)ﾉ

Kasha shook her head, disbelieving. Though she wasn't sure why, she'd known Camie for almost two years so she knew the other girl fooled around on her phone while at work.

 **You:** _You're ridiculous but okay. Goodnight Camie._

 **Camie:** _Lol I kno. Night boo._

Kasha set her phone aside again, staring back up at her glow star ceiling. It was dark in her room, since it was well past five thirty in the evening and her curtains were drawn. The teen jolted a little when her phone buzzed again, wondering if Camie had something else she wanted to say to her. Though once again the owner of silver eyes was surprised at what her screen notifications said.

 **New Message From, Duncebolt:** _Eyyyy Diva, I just saw us on the news! They put a picture of our class up._

Kasha scoffed as she typed out her reply, knowing it was Ochako who had entered Denki's name as such.

"Not that mean my foot." She muttered.

 **New Message Sent, You:** _I didn't see it but someone just told me about it._

 **Duncebolt:** _Dude, I look dumb as hell in that picture._

Kasha chuckled and replied.

 **You:** _You always look dumb._

 **Duncebolt:** _Bruh. Y you do me like this? What have I done to offend you?_

He sent over a bunch of crying emojis and Kasha shook her head at his antics as she snickered some more.

 **You:** _You decided that you should exist in my general vicinity._

 **Duncebolt:** _Yooo that's cold af lmao. I'm so gonna cry in the shower tonight :,(_

"He's so stupid." Kasha giggled, rolling onto her stomach and tucking a curly lock of white hair behind her pointed ear.

 **You:** _:P_

 **Duncebolt:** _Lol anyway Queen of Bullying, I'm texting you so that you know where we're going tomorrow if you can make it. Uraraka already said she's definitely down._

Kasha examined the link Denki sent over, clicking on it to see it was directions to a nice looking arcade in a shopping district in downtown Musutafu.

 **You:** _I'll be there, I already asked my aunt if it was okay. 12 pm right?_

 **Duncebolt:** _Yes! Freaking wicked dude. It's gonna be so lit! And yeah. 12, but I'll prolly be like 30 mins late lmao._

Kasha shook her head, flinching a little when Ryuko called out to her and Kaji before she could answer Denki.

"Kasha, Kaji! Dinner's ready squirts come and get it!" The pro bellowed.

Kaji whined at Kasha's side, still half asleep despite their aunt's screeches down the hall.

"Ok!" Kasha called back. "Be there soon!"

"You better not keep me waiting squirts!" Ryuko threatened. "I didn't slave away in this kitchen for hours for you two to let my efforts get cold!"

The white haired teen rolled her eyes so hard she could swear she saw the inside of her skull. The teen looked over to her sister, reaching out and shaking the seven year old awake gently.

"Kaji, c'mon it's time to get up." Kasha told her, amused by the child's irritated and protesting whines.

"Nee-chan _shush_." Kaji huffed, rolling to show the older girl her indignant back.

"No way, get up. We need to go eat." The teen rebutted.

It took a bit more gentle shoving and coaxing from Kasha before her younger sibling decided to acknowledge she wouldn't be getting her way anytime soon.

"Tch." Kaji sat up, rubbing at her eyes with her little fists. "Fine."

Kasha smirked a little as the scowling seven year old scooted off of her bed and shuffled towards the door. The teen went back to her phone, sending a quick answer to her blonde friend's previous text.

 **You:** _K. I'm gonna go eat dinner. See you tomorrow._

 **Duncebolt:** _Later hot stuff ;)_

The white haired teen plugged her phone up as it was only on three percent and rolled off of her bed, standing up and making her way to the door.

Kasha felt her stomach growl again, reminding her that she was absolutely exhausted from the day's events and damn near famished.

"Hope she made a lot." The teen mumbled.

* * *

Somewhere in a run down part of a prefecture in Japan there was an abandoned warehouse.

A very particular warehouse.

The many windows of said building were missing shards of glass, and tattered black tarps were hung over them for privacy reasons, blackening the atmosphere already dreary from the night outside. The warehouse was mostly empty save for a cluster of furniture at its center. A ratty old brown couch facing an ancient model television stacked precariously atop a tiny battered nightstand, and two metal shelves on either side of this arrangement. The metal shelves held trinkets of sorts, collected from all sorts of people over the years. But that was okay. They wouldn't be missing them.

A yellowing white refrigerator sat on the left side on the tv area, on the right was a headless, nude female mannequin covered in deep slash marks and puncture wounds. But most notably the mannequin had a single kitchen knife thrust between its breasts. Such a knife was very old and dull, and it had brown blood crusted around the area where blade met handle from years ago. This was fine though, since the hoarder of this weapon had no intention of using the blade. No. He simply admired it often times when he got lonely. After all, the old blood still clinging to it belonged to the love of his life that he had not seen for far too long.

The lone man in the warehouse was tall, pale and wiry with large eyes almost too big for his face, and they held no color, simply deep black voids that sucked everything in and gave nothing in return. His gaunt cheekbones were dusted with pale blonde stubble, and his platinum colored hair was oily, unwashed and hung to his wide shoulders in split ends. The man was as nude as the day he was born, sitting on his favorite brown stool before his staticky television set.

The news played out before him, and his abyss-like eyes trained on a single point on the screen as the reporter relayed something _very_ interesting to his ears. The man's thin lips peeled away from his stark white teeth, curling at the corners and stretching wide as he grinned. The stale light of his tv illuminated his enraptured expression.

He could see her. Even in that all black getup. Even with most of her face covered by a vented mask. He could see her because he'd know those moonstone eyes anywhere. Those thick white lashes. That beautiful, trailing, milk white hair. It was _her._ His pretty _pretty_ love.

Musutafu.

U.A High School.

Class 1-A.

She hadn't even moved out of the city since they'd last met. Obviously she was waiting for him. She'd let the news broadcast her across the entirety of Japan. She _must_ be wanting him to come find her.

His eyes creased deeply at the corners as his mouth ached from his grin. It'd been so long. Too long. But now he knew where she spent her time, even if she no longer lived in the same house. He knew, he'd been there. No one was home.

But it was okay now.

He knew his love was still in that city. He knew she was in _that_ school and in _that_ class. It was only a matter of time now.

"Ka-chan… my love…" He crooned at the tv, even though the image of her and her class was long gone away from the screen.

He shivered in delight, thinking about how those silver eyes would light up when they saw each other again.

"Soon my love…" He promised, tilting his head back and beaming at the ceiling.

He almost couldn't wait, but he'd have to get to her. And he would.

"Soon."

* * *

 **Watch:** watch?v=RU-Rgp0w_CY (So Beautiful Story)

 **Watch:**

watch?v=7sBkPEGvu1E (Start Line)

 **I love Aikatsu, and Aikatsu Stars! is my favorite but Aikatsu Friends was such a let down for me lmao. Crossing fingers for Aikatsu on Parade being awesome.**

 **What do you think about that last scene? I feel like I'm losing my touch at being creepy. I've been slacking smh.**


	13. Arcade Day

**I posted a picture of Ochako, Denki and Kasha on my tumblr: xxkamuisenketsuxx**

 **It's their "Arcade Day" outfits. Denki and Ochako are looking a little derpy but it's the first time I've drawn them so I'll take it lol.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia or any form of Aikatsu.**

* * *

 _Kaji sobbed and sobbed from her place across the room._

 _She was still wearing her uniform from her kindergarten, and her silver eyes poured endless tears of sorrow. Her back was pressed against the wall on the right side of their home's front door, a position she'd fled to at Kasha's instruction._

 _There was a small red knick from when the madman held his knife against the five year old's throat, but otherwise she was physically unharmed. Kasha had sent out a wave of uncontrollable fire towards his face while he was distracted by the sight of her slicing open her own arms, bellowing for Kaji to run. The little girl had listened, and that's how the thirteen year old had ended up in such a position._

 _She was face down on the carpet of their home, just like her dead mother. But there was one key difference. The madman was straddling her from behind. He'd tackled her after regaining his bearings and wrestled her into submission. Then he'd stuck a needle in the side of her neck and Kasha felt weak. In her panic she tried to call upon her quirk to burn him away from her but she couldn't use it._

" _You see… now you've gone and ruined everything Ka-chan." He'd whispered. "I used... the same drug on you... that I did to make your parents... listen to me. Now your quirk... won't work for a few hours... at least."_

 _Kasha's blood had frozen in her veins. Her numb wrists from blood loss being that much more apparent all of a sudden. She was face down, couldn't use her quirk, and her parents had been slaughtered. She was entirely defenseless. Her sister had no one to defend her anymore._

" _Run Kaji!" Kasha yelled, helpless tears welling in her eyes._

" _Nee-chan!" Kaji protested, voice cracking._

" _Ru—ahhhhgghh!"_

" **Stop struggling** _._ " _The madman_ _snarled, vengefully dragging his knife across Kasha's defenseless back, ripping an anguished cry from her. "Both of you be quiet and listen to_ me _, or I'm gonna dye Ka-chan here an even prettier red."_

" _Kasha-nee!" Kaji sobbed._

 _The teen couldn't see her, but her heart was torn to shreds at the sound of her uncontrollable wails. Kasha wished she could comfort the smaller girl. Wished she wasn't so helpless. So useless. What kind of big sister was she? Pathetic._

" _P-please stop hurting my Nee-chan." Kaji begged from across the room. "Please please please…"_

 _Kasha cried out when she felt his blade pierce her skin again shallowly, carving a white hot trail of pain across her back, crisscrossing the first slash he'd placed there._

" _Kaji…" Kasha slurred. God. It hurt. It hurt_ so much _but she needed to make sure Kaji got away. She needed to make sure her sister would be safe. "Kaji please… run awa—aaggghh!"_

" _NEE-CHAN!" Kaji screamed._

 _He'd cut into her again._

" _Both of you…" He huffed, pressing Kasha's face harder into the carpet, smothering away her hisses of agony. "Be quiet and_ listen _to me. I will keep having to do this… if you don't stop."_

 _Kasha could hear Kaji sobbing harder across the room. She could hear her sister's shuddering breaths, the chokes and sniffles and the whimpers. She couldn't bear it._

 _Kaji couldn't bear watching Kasha be ripped apart like this. Tortured._

 _Tears poured endlessly out of Kasha's eyes._

' _Dammit…' She thought. 'Dammit. DAMMIT! I'm too weak. I can't protect her…'_

 _Her body was on fire. She couldn't even feel her arms anymore and her back felt like it was being flayed off of her while she was still conscious._

 _There was nothing Kasha could do._

 _She felt the madman place his knife against her back yet again, for the fourth time. And Kasha knew. She knew he wasn't going to stop._

" _Please…" Kaji blubbered. "Not my Nee-chan… Stop hurting my Nee-chan!"_

 _Kasha gritted her teeth as the knife slid through the fabric of her ruined school shirt, and then lightly prick her pale flesh, drawing vivid beads of crimson. She hated the way the man above her shuddered in delight at the sight of her blood. Of her pain._

 _The teen squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the knife part her flesh a little deeper, until her nerve endings began screaming—abort, abort!_

 _But it wasn't going to stop._

 _He wasn't going to stop._

 _Kasha could feel something hard begin pressing against her buttocks from behind as his breath left his lungs in another shudder. Horror and humiliation churned in a volatile cocktail within her limp, drugged form._

 _He was_ getting off _on tormenting her. On making her_ bleed.

 _Kasha's captor repositioned the tip of his blade against the bloodied fabric on her back, adding a shrill mixture of dread to the vile concoction of her helpless emotions. She knew what was coming. And without fail, he slowly dragged a fresh cut across the other three and Kasha gritted her teeth, breath hitching._

 _He wasn't even paying attention to Kaji anymore. He'd gotten caught up in living his sick little fantasy._

 _Kasha had never felt so violated, but_ knew _she wouldn't get another opportunity to take advantage of his distraction._

" _Run Kaji!" She screamed, voice hoarse._

 _She felt the man jerk above her, alarmed._

" _Bu—"_

" _Run now!" Kasha screeched, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears welled up and despair swallowed her heart whole._

" _Kasha-nee…!"_

'Dammit Kaji you listen to me!' _She thought._ 'You _listen_ to me. You get out of here, and you _live_!'

 _Feeling the desire to ensure he sister got away unharmed, even if it meant they'd never see eachother again, Kasha screamed with all her might. All the love, despair, terror and desperation within her fuelled her hoarse voice and she cried out from the bottom of her soul._

" _RUUUUUUN!"_

 _Kasha collapsed into gut wrenching sobs when she heard the gunshot bang of their front door slamming against the wall, and then—_

 _Retreating footsteps._

 _The man above her roared with rage._

 _Kasha smiled through her tears._

* * *

Sleepy silver eyes fluttered open.

Kasha blinked away the wet shine on her lash line as her lips released a quiet sigh. She shifted a little, looking down at the little Kaji shaped barnicle that had attached itself to her while they slept. Kaji's ombré hair was free of its usual bands and an absolute mess. Her head was resting on Kasha's collar bones, and her little arms were wrapped around the taller girl's trim torso. Warmth flooded Kasha's heart when she realized there was a little patch of drool blooming across the front of her baby blue sleep hoodie.

"You're so gross Kaji." She murmured fondly. "But… I'm glad you're here."

After checking her cat shaped digital clock atop her nightstand, she found that it was 4:33 am. Kasha huffed quietly, annoyed at her broken sleep, but knowing she probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep at that point. Honestly, she didn't even want to. She hated it when she dreamed.

So, Kasha carefully sat up and maneuvered her sister off of her, slipping out of bed lightly and turned back around to tuck the five year old in. Kaji endearingly grumbled some nonsense in her sleep and cuddled up to Kasha's still warm pillow. The silver eyed teen huffed quietly in amusement and turned to her closet, going to pick something out to wear. She slid the door open, eyes immediately zeroing in on a particular garment.

Kasha stared at the simple, yet pretty baby blue dress with short sleeves she'd never put on after being gifted it as an eighth grade graduation present from her Aunt Ryuko and Kaji.

In fact, Kasha couldn't remember the last time she'd worn casual clothes that weren't meant for lounging around at home.

' _Well, I know what I'm wearing today then.'_ She thought blandly.

Though it was much too early to be getting ready to hang out. Denki had texted her to show up downtown at around noonish, so Kasha had plenty of time to kill before she went off to meet him and Ochako.

"Guess I'll work out a little then." She muttered.

It'd been a while since she could work out like she liked to. Her routine had gotten all skewed because she started the Hero Course at UA, but with free time she could get her mojo back a little. So Kasha quickly took off her pjs and put on a pair of black spanx shorts, and a long sleeved baggy white T-shirt. Then she wrestled her mass of ridiculously long hair in a messy knot at the back of her head so she wouldn't trip over it.

The teen went through a stretch routine, working out her muscles, and then she left her bedroom as Kaji slumbered on, quietly closing the door behind herself. Kasha silently made her way through her dark apartment, heading for the kitchen.

"Kasha? What are you doing kiddo?"

The teen startled at her aunt's groggy voice.

' _Apparently not silent at all.'_ She thought wryly.

A lump of blankets sat up from Kasha's couch, and a very sleepy Pixie-Bob with outrageous bed head squinted at her through the darkness.

"Sorry, I woke you up didn't I?" Kasha asked, apologetic. "I'm going to work out after a bit of breakfast."

"At ass o'clock in the morning?" Ryuko asked, sounding more awake at this information. "Kid, the sun isn't even up yet."

"I know. I just…" Kasha's eyes slid away uneasily as she shuffled into the kitchen, turning on the stove light.

"Couldn't sleep that well huh?" Ryuko deduced, sounding sympathetic.

"Yeah." Kasha whispered, eyes lowering.

The pro hero sighed, and after a bit of shuffling Kasha heard her aunt get up and start walking towards her. The teen looked over, white brows furrowing.

"What are you doing? You don't have to get up just because I can't sleep." She said.

"I know," Ryuko smiled, opening her arms invitingly when they were face to face.

Kasha studied the woman for a long few moments, but her arms didn't drop, so the teen just rolled her eyes and walked into the embrace. Ryuko's arms curled around her lovingly, and she patted the teen's back softly, lips pressed to the side of her niece's head. She kissed Kasha's temple, and the teen subtly snuggled into her aunt's warm skin. She smelled sweet, like sugar cookies.

"You know I'm always here to talk if you want." Ryuko mumbled, squeezing a little tighter. "Whether it's ass o'clock or not."

"I know." Kasha snorted, pressing her tiny smile away against her aunt's cheek. "Thanks."

Ryuko patted the teen's back once more, and then pulled away.

"Here, lemme make you some oatmeal and sliced apples." The hero said. "That should be light enough but satisfying enough for your stomach before working out."

"Seriously? You're not going to complain about me going out when it's still dark?" Kasha asked, blinking in surprise.

"Why would I do that?" Ryuko returned, already pulling out the things she'd need to make Kasha's breakfast. "This is a safe neighborhood and you'll be running around behind the gates of this complex. There's enough space for you to work up a sweat around the lawns."

Kasha's expression flattened.

"Yeah, okay. I should've seen that one coming." The teen deadpanned.

Ryuko just beamed at her obnoxiously, so Kasha pinched the woman's side in revenge. The teen snickered and ducked away at her aunt's half hearted swat.

"Get out of here you little brat and let me work my magic." She laughed, shaking her head.

"My oatmeal is the instant kind." Kasha sneered playfully. " _Kaji_ could make it. And honestly, she does make it better than you…"

"WHY YOU—"

* * *

Kasha jogged around the inner workings of her apartment's complex for thirty minutes, and then she practiced a few of her more vigorous kicks for a while. The silver eyed teen then cooled down by running through some Taekwondo stances to refresh herself.

Kasha had worked up quite a sweat and her hair was mostly free of its half assed bun by the time she'd finished up.

"Whew, I could use a shower." She said, peering up at the sky with her hands on her hips. It was a muted light blue tone, signifying that the sun was rearing its golden head. "Time to go back then."

Muscles feeling pleasantly worked out, Kasha made her way back to her apartment. Letting herself in, she got herself out of her white sneakers and looked up when she realized all the lights were on and Kaji was sitting on the couch, a plate of waffles in her lap as she watched an episode of Aikatsu Stars on the tv. The teen took a moment to wrap some hair around her throat to hide her scar as she made her way closer.

Aunt Ryuko was messing around in the kitchen, dressed in a sleeveless salmon colored shirt, a high waisted beige pencil skirt, and pointed salmon colored pumps. A brown belt with a pink jeweled flower as the buckle brought attention to the woman's tiny waist.

"You guys are dressed already?" Kasha asked, tucking a few mussed strands of white behind her pointed ears. "What's going on?"

"I've got to get to the agency, and since you're going out I'm gonna take Kaji with me." Ryuko explained.

Kaji turned to look at Kasha as the teen made her way over, cheeks puffed up with waffles. Kasha reached out and gently thumbed away a bit of syrup at the corner of her sister's mouth, pulling her hand away and licking the sweetness off.

"Hm, okay." The teen said. "Thanks for coming out to see me you two."

"We love you Nee-chan." Kaji said. And really, that was a response that didn't need to be explained.

"Aww, you two are so cute." Ryuko cooed, making her way over to press a kiss to Kasha's cheek, (which caused the teen's nose to crinkle in protest). "But, cuteness aside, we gotta hurry Kaji-chan. So finish your breakfast and let's hustle."

"Okay Aunt Ri-ri." The child agreed, shoveling more waffle bites into her mouth.

"Mm." Kasha hummed, leaning over and kissing Kaji's forehead. "Love you both."

Ryuko smiled at her and Kasha faintly returned the sentiment.

"Go shower kiddo, you definitely need it, and we'll see you later."

"Okay. See you." Kasha agreed, hip checking her aunt for the shower comment as she walked away.

Ryuko laughed and stuck her tongue out after the teen.

* * *

A few hours passed after Kasha showered, and she lounged around her apartment, did her homework, and then watched some tv.

The news of the attack on the USJ facility was still in circulation, so Kasha understandably turned the television off. After lazing about some more for a while longer the teen's phone buzzed. Startled, Kasha picked it up and studied her new notification.

 **New Message From, Ochako:** _KASHA!_

Smirking slightly, Kasha promptly replied.

 **New Message Sent, You:** _Sup_

 **Ochako:** _Jeeze, even the way you text is cool as a cucumber._

 **You:** _I wouldn't say that. What's up?_

 **Ochako:** _Honestly, this is a little embarrassing but… I can't figure out what to wear._

Kasha's brows furrowed. That was a weird thing to be flustered about, but then again Kasha wasn't particularly shy or usually concerned about what others thought of her, so maybe she was just being a little unintentionally callous?

 **You:** _How is that embarrassing? It's fine, what were you thinking about?_

The response was immediate.

 **Ochako:** _You are beautiful Kasha. You know that?_

Kasha laughed, typing out her response.

 **You:** _Silly._

 **Ochako:** _Haha, maybe :P But could you tell me what you're gonna wear so I know what I choose is okay?_

 **You:** _Sure. I'm gonna wear a blue dress and some boots._

 **Ochako:** _Really? Wow, Kasha in a dress. I dunno, I imagined you to wear really tomboyish kinda stuff for some reason._

Kasha snorted, getting off of her couch to make her way to her bedroom. She sent over a quick reply as she pulled her desired clothing articles for the day out of her closet and laid them out across her bed.

 **You:** _You see me in a skirt like every day -_-_

 **Ochako:** _Lol, yeah. But it's the school uniform. That doesn't count! Also, you're always wearing those clunky steel toed boots._

 **You:** _Okay, so you might have a point…_

 **Ochako:** _See! Lol._

 **You:** _Alright alright. Now tell me what you're thinking about._

 **Ochako:** _Haha, okay. I was gonna do a pink button up and either short shorts or a skirt and some high tops._

Kasha took a moment to think about it before taking off the clean longue clothes she'd been in since after her after-workout shower earlier. In her undergarments, she decided on her answer to her friend.

 **You:** _Sounds cute. Wear the skirt._

 **Ochako:** _Yay! Okay, so now we are officially Girly Friends~_

 **You:** _*rolling eyes*_

 **Ochako:** _*sticking tongue out*_

 **You:** _Smh._

 **Ochako:** _Lol, okay seriously tho. It's like ten now so I'm going to start getting ready._

 **You:** _Okay, me too. See you later._

 **Ochako:** _Okay! Catch ya soon Girly Friend! :P_

Shaking her head, Kasha put on her clothes for the day. She was wearing her blue dress, a white lace choker to hide the scar across her throat, a white reusable disease mask with a gray star on the front, and a baggy peach cardigan. Her shoes were a pair of sturdy brown ankle boots. Grabbing her wallet, the teen put it into her sweater pocket and took a moment to comb her hair and put it up in her signature odango buns.

Since where Denki wanted to meet up was a good hour trip from her house, Kasha decided she'd leave. She might be a little early, but it was fine since she wanted to look around the area for a while alone before she met up with her friends.

"My friends." Kasha paused, hand on the door while her other held onto her house keys.

It'd been a long time since she'd had some of those. And look at how easily she was admitting to it. Going along with it. Of course she'd always told herself inwardly she would interact with people and not necessarily push them away, but some part of her had been convinced that she never actually would feel like she had friends.

"It's fine." Kasha muttered, opening her door and stepping out.

* * *

The sky was a clear blue by the time Kasha strolled towards the designated meeting place.

The streets of Musutafu were somewhat busy as it was around lunch time, so people were off to buy their meals, and cars honked for others to hurry along down the roads. It was a cacophony of daily life noise that Kasha took a moment to appreciate with her hands tucked into the pockets of her baggy cardigan.

"Kasha!" A cheerful voice sang.

Startled, Kasha's eyes followed the voice up ahead. Her eyes crinkled softly at the sides as she caught sight of Ochako sitting on a small wooden bench outside of a dainty cafe. The chesnutt haired girl hopped up and waved exuberantly, eyes arching closed as she grinned happily.

She was wearing a flattering pink button down shirt tucked into a black and white plaid miniskirt with five circular buttons holding the front closed. On her feet were a pair of matching pink hightop canvas sneakers with star designs on the sides. She had on a mini black leather backpack to finish up the look. All in all, she looked very nice and cute.

"Hey." Kasha greeted when they were face to face.

Ochako's shimmering brown eyes studied her curiously, and then she offered another smile, giving the taller girl a thumbs up.

"I approve!" She declared. "You look very cute and cozy in that."

"Thanks," Kasha returned wryly. "You look really cute too."

"Thanks! But oh my gosh, I'm _so_ excited to hang out with you today!" Ochako squealed, doing a weird little dance in place as she alternated pumping both of her fists up and down.

"Chill out." Kasha snorted. "I'm sure it would've happened eventually."

The brunette paused mid fist pump, and Kasha blinked at the other girl as she stared.

"What?" The taller girl asked. "What's wrong?"

"You just freely admitted that we would hang out." Ochako said seriously, standing up straight to look at her more clearly.

"Um." Kasha said, unsure of what was going on as she offered hesitantly, "Yes…?"

"You're _admitting_ I'm your friend! Omigosh somebody, _anybody…!_ Get me a camera— NO! Get me the freaking news, this is _history_ in the making!" Ochako exclaimed.

Kasha sputtered a little.

"I—what—"

"Well hello there ladies." A smarmy voice greeted, sparing Kasha the embarrassment.

Kasha and Ochako both paused in what they were doing, shifting to see Denki strolling over to them wearing gray ripped jeans, a matching jean jacket over an orange T-shirt with a black lightning bolt printed across it, and red chucks. He smirked, gold eyes roving over his two female friends before waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Is it leg day today or my birthday?" Denki asked.

"Kaminari," Ochako groaned, only to laugh immediately afterward.

"Loser." Kasha scoffed, amused.

"Wow, the shade game is so real today." Denki chuckled, only to recover and hitch his thumb over his shoulders towards the shops behind him. "But are we ready to dip? I'm super excited to hang out with you guys."

"Me too!" Ochako grinned.

"Yeah, lets go." Kasha said.

The silver eyed teen fell into step with Denki and Ochako, the shortest of the teens present walking in the middle. Kasha was on the brunette's left and Denki was on her right.

' _I definitely already told Denki he was my friend out loud.'_ Kasha thought, sulking. _'Maybe I didn't say it to Ochako yet but she_ knows _. Why are they both always teasing me like that?'_

"How are you guys feeling today?" Denki asked, pulling her from her thoughts as he led them closer to the arcade; which was tucked between a pretzel shop and a pawn shop.

"Fine." Kasha shrugged.

"I'm good," Ochako answered too. "I had mochi for breakfast."

"Mochi? That's like, super unhealthy to eat in the morning my dude." Denki said, laughing.

"Hey, mochi is the best thing since sliced bread." Ochako argued, wagging her finger at him in warning.

"Don't get mad at me when you turn _into_ mochi." Denki snickered.

"That will be the best day of my life." Ochako stated seriously.

"You two are so strange." Kasha found herself murmuring.

Denki pulled the door of their destination open, and both girls walked in.

The arcade was dark, but there were so many different sources of light from game screens and flashing colors from surrounding decorations that you could see everything. There was a large display counter to the right with multiple stuffed animal prizes and other nicknacks to win behind it manned by a bored looking twenty something dude with messy hair. The atmosphere within was a little stuffy, and smelled vaguely like sweaty palms and jalapeños, but it wasn't unbearable.

Denki turned around so he faced both girls and spread his arms out wide.

"Welcome to my kingdom." He said grandly.

"A complete dump." Kasha offered flatly. "It suits you, your highness."

Laughter spewed uncontrollably out of Ochako and she clutched at her stomach as it protested against her.

"Oh my gosh Kasha, _ouch_." The brunette sniggered.

Denki pouted, dropping his arms at his sides.

"I am not feeling this negative energy you're dishing out miss Ice Diva." The blonde boy said. "You gotta stop with all that or you'll have to be banished."

"Okay I'll stop." Kasha agreed, tone hinting at a wicked smirk. "For now."

Denki huffed and smiled, being a good sport as he led the girls further into the arcade and up to a money machine that was made to convert yen to arcade tokens.

"First few games are on me ladies." Denki said, pulling a black leather wallet from a pocket inside of his jean jacket.

"What? What are you talking about Kaminari? No way." Ochako said, frowning a little.

"Chill, it's only a few yen it's not gonna hurt my wallet or anything." He dismissed easily, turning to the machine and pulling out said currency.

Ochako obviously still wasn't really feeling having him pay for her but she was willing to let it go. Kasha just quietly said thank you when he turned around and handed her five gold painted coins.

"Thanks Kaminari." Ochako mumbled, accepting hers as well.

"No biggie, you guys are my buds." He grinned, dropping his coins into his pants pocket. He clapped his hands together, rubbing them as a delighted gleam entered his gold eyes. "Now whaddyou say we head to my favorite game: Speed Racers?"

"Yes! Let's go guys!" Ochako fist pumped.

Kasha chuckled softly as Denki winked at them and led them further into the facility, leading them right to an arcade game with two fake driver wheels and two neon green seats. The screen was set to a default trailer, or some sort of showing of a test race with a bunch of cars flying off the track to end in a fiery death. Denki turned to Kasha and slid into the right seat.

"Ready to get your ass served to you Kasha?" He asked.

"You haven't beaten me yet Dunceface, so save the sass." Kasha retorted, smirking as she slid in the left seat.

"Heh. I am definitely feeling the bloodlust between you two." Ochako growled.

Both Kasha and Denki turned to gape at the usual sunshine incarnate as she wedged herself between their seats, a dark look on her round face as an ominous shadow fell over her eyes.

"Oh my god Uraraka you are genuinely scaring me right now." Denki whimpered.

Kasha blinked, slowly turning away and behaving as if she'd never seen anything in the first place.

"O-okay, lets just put our tokens in, yeah?" Denki smiled shakily, sliding a single gold token into the slot on his side of the game. Kasha followed suit.

"So how does this work?" The whitette asked.

"Use the stick shift to move around your arrow and chose a character and a car." The blonde boy explained, choosing a beefy guy with outrageously spiky blonde hair and black sunglasses.

Kasha decided on the only female character on the roster, a deeply tan woman in an itty bitty lime colored bikini top and jean shorts. She had bright red hair in a high ponytail.

"So you chose Viper?" Denki asked, smiling as he chose his car, a bright orange vehicle that was probably a real life death trap.

"That's her name?" Kasha wondered, deciding to go with a lime colored race car.

"Yup." Denki chirped. "She's actually the love interest of my character, Biceps."

" _Biceps_?" Ochako snickered. "Yeah, he kinda looks like a Biceps."

"That is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard." Kasha said dryly, watching the screen switch over to a stage selection screen.

"Even so, you ready to lose Kasha?" Denki smirked.

"I'd like to see you try and make me." She retorted.

.

.

.

"Outrageous." Kasha huffed after crashing into a wall for the sixth time and exploding violently.

 **You Lose** flashed tauntingly before her annoyed face in yellow bubble letters while confetti and victory trumpets decorated Denki's screen. Ochako was choking on her laughter and Kasha was absolutely not amused.

Why were the damn cars so complicated to control anyway? There was no way real cars yeeted themselves all willy nilly like that at the slightest adjustment in real life. And _no._ Kasha was _not_ making excuses. The stupid arcade game was literally _impossible._

"YES!" Denki cheered. "Eat my dust Kasha you talked _so much_ smack and you _still_ lost!"

"Yeah yeah." She muttered.

"Oh my gosh Kasha you are _terrible_ at this." Ochako said bluntly, obviously delighted by this information.

"Now everyone build a shrine in the name of the race god Kaminari!" Denki yelled, throwing his hands up.

"That shrine will be a dumpster." Kasha grumbled.

"Oof." Ochako instigated, grinning.

"Dang, salty much? I didn't know you were a sore loser Kasha." Denki cackled, reveling in the way that Kasha turned her nose up and crossed her arms. "You want some water to mellow out all that salt you big ol' dust eater?"

" _Whatever._ "

"Okay, I'm just gonna lie here to rest because holy cow." Ochako snickered.

"Nice job Kasha you killed Uraraka." Denki laughed, trying and failing to give her a disappointed look.

"If anything your stupidity put her out." The fire user huffed, most assuredly _not_ pouting. Seriously. She did not do that. That was gross.

"You're just a big ol' hater." The blonde continued to tease. "But that's fine, the racing god is bigger than your shade game babe."

"Ugh." Kasha groaned, lips twitching in amusement despite her valiant efforts to smother down her reaction.

"It's okay Kasha I still think you're cooler than a cucumber." Ochako comforted, offering an indulgent smile.

"Uh huh. Yeah." Kasha said dryly, getting out of the seat.

"Hey now, none of that." Denki scolded playfully, hopping out of his. "You guys wanna try something else now?"

"I don't mind." Ochako shrugged. "Watching Kasha go up in flames six times in a row satisfied my bloodlust quota, so let's do something a little different."

"Okay, I'm going to not acknowledge the things wrong with that sentence and agree." Kasha said, snorting. "Also, bite me."

Ochako stuck her tongue out in return. Kasha rolled her eyes fondly.

"You guys are a different breed." Denki said, looking between both girls and shaking his head.

"Eh?" Ochako blinked at him curiously.

"Forget it, it's nothin'. More importantly, can you dance?" Denki asked, hitching a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the DDR machine across the darkened arcade.

Ochako shrugged, scratching at the side of her head.

"Well I don't suck or anything." The brunette offered.

"Same." He grinned. "Good enough."

"Let's play a little then." Ochako proposed, bouncing a little in place in anticipation.

"Oh, can you dance Kasha?" Denki asked, looking at her.

"Not really." Kasha shrugged.

"Oh I _so_ want to see you fail at this." He smirked.

"What is with the fixation you have with me failing?" She asked, raising a brow at him.

"Until now, I've literally had yet to see you screw up something. Let me have this." Denki said, as if her not sucking at most things was the worst thing ever. "Even _Bakugo_ screws up."

"I mean… it's Bakugo." Ochako blinked.

"Ah, touché." Denki laughed.

Kasha rolled her eyes.

"Stop trash talking our classmates and lets _go_ already." The pale girl said.

"It's not trash talk if it's true." Ochako muttered, though still following after Kasha and Denki as they began walking.

"Oh, hey Uraraka that makes me think." The blonde boy said, perking up.

"You can do that?" Kasha gasped quietly.

"Oh ha ha. Very funny ice queen." Denki rolled his eyes, sharing a wry look with Ochako for a moment. " _Anyways,_ what's your beef with class A's favorite explody boy?"

"What?" Ochako asked, looking honestly befuddled. "I don't have beef with him."

"Maybe not yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if you guys started arguing more in the future." Denki replied. "We don't know each other that well yet, but I get these vibes from you when Bakugo is going off that you really… kinda hate him."

They'd made their way to the DDR machine but the things Denki had said made both girls pause. Kasha didn't say anything, as such things were news to her. She hadn't noticed Ochako being different around Bakugo, but then again the brunette had clicked more with Midoriya and Iida, and where Midoriya was concerned Bakugo seemed to have a huge chip on his shoulder. Iida could piss off a saint, so there wasn't really anything to be said about _his_ relationship with the explosive student.

"I don't _hate_ him." Ochako scoffed a little, shaking her head before her round brown eyes flitted between both of the taller teens, seeming to lose a bit of steam at their curious gazes. "I just… I dunno, I don't like how mean he is. He just gives me bad vibes sometimes and he's always saying mean stuff to Deku-kun."

"I mean, but he literally treats everyone like crap?" Denki offered, confused.

Kasha snorted. It was true, but damn.

"It's just different between those two." Ochako said, frowning a little in thought and quickly sobering Kasha up. This was really serious to her brunette friend it would seem. "I know Bakugo is like that and whatever. But he can actually get along with people like you, Kirishima-kun, and Sero-kun. I think he genuinely hates Deku-kun and it just bugs me because he's like the nicest and most sincere person on the planet?"

"Mm." Kasha hummed, nodding a little in agreement.

"What, seriously?" Denki asked, gaping between the two females.

"I got that sort of feeling too." Kasha admitted, shrugging slightly. "Bakugo and Midoriya seem to have bad blood between them. But honestly it looks like the only one sustaining it is Bakugo."

" _Exactly!_ " Ochako exclaimed. "That's what I'm saying! It's like, Deku-kun wants to get along with everybody in our class but Bakugo hates him for some reason and won't even try to not be a jerk to him. It's frustrating to watch."

Well, personally Kasha couldn't relate because she hadn't clicked with Midoriya like Ochako apparently had, but she understood the sentiment. The silver eyed teen knew at least that she respected Midoriya and his drive, and he'd given her the impression that he was a very sweet person. She'd even felt protective of him a time or two, but he was proving to not really need it, so she had just sort of quietly let him go to do his own thing while she did hers.

"Wow, uh... I guess I really didn't even notice, but now that you mention it Bakugo _does_ seem more genuinely vicious when green bean is the subject in question." Denki said, scratching at the side of his head. "I wonder what the story behind that is?"

"No way to tell, but I really hope something can be done about it." Ochako offered. "I don't like how pouty and jittery Deku-kun gets when Bakugo is around. Even if they're never friends it'd be nice if they could get along."

"Well either way it's up to them to fix it." Kasha decided to conclude. "It'll work itself out. And if it doesn't and gets out of hand, 1-A can handle it."

"Awww," Denki crooned, giving her exaggerated kissy faces as he accepted the subject change. "Look at you acknowledging you're apart of our class and even talking about a future of working together. They grow up so fast don't they Uraraka?"

"Yeah they do! I'm so proud of you Kasha!" Ochako crooned, giggling at the two of them as Kasha rolled her eyes.

"Stop making it sound like I'm a complete jerk."

"You _are_ a complete jerk though." The blonde laughed. "Not that I'd want you any other way."

"Okay. Yeah. This is great and all, but I thought we were playing DDR?" Kasha huffed, again aggressively taking the reins of the conversation.

Denki playfully elbowed Ochako in her side as he snickered and the brunette grinned and poorly suppressed her answering amusement. The silver eyed teen scoffed lightly, though she did feel a sort of wry tilt threatening the corners of her hidden mouth.

"Yeah okay, we're both down for that." Denki smiled.

"Yeah but first can we get a snack you guys? It's definitely passed lunch but I don't want to go to get anything heavy just yet." Ochako said.

"Hm? Oh, okay." Kasha agreed. "There's a mini mart across the street, I saw it before we came in."

"Yes!" Ochako fist pumped. "I'm gonna get strawberry milk!"

"Wait for me you guys!" Denki sputtered, as the two girls were already making their way towards the exit.

The teens made their way to the corner store, and Kasha picked out a pack of sweet rice cakes, and an iced coffee. Denki chose a single teriyaki flavored onigiri and a vanilla iced coffee. Ochako got two small cartons of strawberry milk.

"Don't you want anything else?" Kasha asked, white brows furrowing.

"Eh, no. This'll do." Ochako shrugged, making her way to the store clerk.

"You're not secretly a cheapskate are you Uraraka?" Denki asked, blinking at her, choking on his spit after Kasha shoved her elbow into his ribs in reprimand. He looked at her with wide eyes and asked, "What'd I say?"

Ochako handed over the small amount of yen necessary to purchase her milk. She turned to give both Kasha and Denki a sort of uneasy look, pulling off her backpack to put away the second carton for later. Kasha pursed her lips, wondering what could put a look like that onto her usually carefree friend's face.

"I wouldn't say _cheap_ …" Ochako said slowly. "I'm just… good at saving money and stuff."

"Why would you need to be good at that?" Denki asked curiously. "Won't your parents just budget for you or whatever? And like, give you allowance?"

"Um…" The brunette began, trailing off.

"Denki." Kasha intoned, sensing it wasn't exactly something Ochako wanted to talk about.

The blonde teen looked at Kasha, pursing his lips at her unreadable silver gaze. He perked up, wanting to fix the mood and walked up to the counter next.

"Well, it's chill either way." Denki said, putting his snack on the counter. "Being good with money and stuff. It's probably vital for being an adult or whatever, so you've got a nice head start Uraraka."

"Oh, uh. Yeah. I guess so." Ochako offered, giving a slightly strained smile.

"I'm gonna wait outside." He said, giving their brunet friend an apologetic smile. He paused, now giving Kasha a pointed look. The white haired girl assumed he was leaving it up to her to check on Ochako. She nodded slightly, and Denki grabbed his purchases, leaving. Kasha paid the clerk for her rice crackers and coffee, turning to Ochako, who was staring into the contents of her freshly opened milk.

"Hey." Kasha called softly.

The brunette looked up.

"You good?" Kasha asked, tilting her head.

"I guess." Ochako said. She frowned for a moment, and then she straightened up. "But… can I ask you a question Kasha?"

"Mm." She hummed, nodding once.

"Why do you want to be a hero?" The brunette whispered.

"Why?" Kasha repeated slowly, eyeing her friend, curious as to what had brought on such a question.

"Yeah." Ochako said. "It's just because, I found out recently that Iida-kun's older brother is pro hero Ingenium, and he wants to be just like him. He's super earnest. And Deku-kun… he just wants to help people with a smile, like All Might."

"I see." Kasha said. "And now you want to know my reason because…?"

"Well, because Kaminari-kun's questions reminded me of why I'm your classmate." Ochako admitted. "The truth is, I'm basically becoming a hero for the money. See, my parents live kinda far, and my dad owns a construction business that's kinda small. My parents work _so_ hard to make sure I'm happy and have everything I need. When I was little, I just remember how tired they always looked to me, but they never complained. They always smiled at me, and told me they loved me."

Kasha's heart softened as things slowly came into perspective for her. She knew Ochako lived alone, she knew she had an older modeled phone, and apparently, she was good at budgeting and was becoming a hero "for the money".

"You want to make money for them." Kasha murmured, stepping closer to her friend.

Ochako met her eyes, nodding as she whispered, "Yeah. I want to make money, so my parents can have everything that they deserve. I want to give that to them…"

"Ochako." Kasha said. "I'm confused, because I don't get why you'd be ashamed of something like that."

"Yeah, you know, Deku-kun and Iida-kun said my reason for wanting to get rich is "admirable"." Ochako snorted, rubbing at the back of her head. "And it made me happy, y'know. That they said that… made me think… that I wasn't… _selfish_."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to make your family happy." Kasha said, stepping closer to her brunette friend. Ochako looked up, brown studying honest silver. "You're a good person. The reason why you started doesn't matter, because your intent is to help others, even if you are getting paid to do it."

"Kasha…" Ochako gaped.

"Hmph." Kasha grunted. "You know, the reason I'm becoming a hero is so that I'm strong enough to protect my family, among _other_ things… so I didn't start out just because I wanted to save the world or anything like that."

Brown eyes widened slightly, and Kasha's silver eyes crinkled at the corners.

"You're not selfish." Kasha concluded. "You love your family. And I get that."

Ochako blinked a little, clearing the slight wet shine that had appeared away as she offered the taller teen a sincere smile.

"You know what Kasha?" She asked.

"What?" The whitette tilted her head.

"You're too cool." Ochako grinned.

"I know." Kasha smirked, gesturing with her head towards the door, making her way over to it. Ochako skipped after her. When they got outside Denki was already halfway through his onigiri and iced drink when they stepped out onto the sidewalk. He turned to look at them and smiled.

"Ready to go play some more games?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Ochako cheered.

"Let's go." Kasha said.

The three teens made their way back into the arcade after Denki and Kasha's snacks were polished off.

"Guys, let's head back to the DDR machine." Ochako proposed. "Me and you Kaminari."

"Oh?" Kasha looked between them both as they all stopped before the large machine with a metal platform with multi-colored foot arrows on it. "I definitely need to see this."

"You're just mad because you suck at Speed Racers." Denki accused.

"Yeah, I am." Kasha said shamelessly. "Now I want to revel in Ochako murdering you at DDR."

"You're horrible." The blonde grinned.

"I know." Kasha smirked.

"Okay, let's go then." Ochako said, clenching her fists at her sides.

The brunette took off her backpack and handed it to Kasha as she stepped up onto the DDR platform. Ochako positioned herself on the left side in front of the blue hand bar, and Denki on the right before the pink hand bar. They both took out a token to put into the game so they could play.

"What setting will you be getting murdered on Uraraka?" Denki asked, a sly smile on his face.

"I think you may be confused." Ochako said sweetly. "Put it on normal, and I'll let you chose the song you'll be sent to the afterlife with."

"Damn." Kasha said, lips twitching beneath her mask as Denki's mouth fell agape at the petite brunette.

' _And here I thought her bloodlust had been "satisfied".'_ The silver eyed teen inwardly snickered.

Truthfully though, Ochako's competitive spirit was really a sight to behold. And amusing as all get out too. It kinda made Kasha want to get a crack at her. The competition didn't matter. She just wanted to see what Ochako was really made of. But Kasha was pulled from her thoughts when her two friends deposited the required coins and went through the process of selecting a song and difficulty level.

The screen changed and the countdown began.

"Rip him apart Ochako." Kasha growled.

Ochako bared her teeth at the taller girl confidently and proclaimed, "Oh, I plan to."

Denki whimpered and the game started.

And honestly… Kasha _really_ struggled to not burst out into obnoxious laughter at what transpired before her.

"Shit, fuck, _shit_!" Denki swore as he stomped around on the arrows like a drugged elephant. He looked ridiculous and Ochako was completely slaughtering him with a surprising amount of light, quick footwork and coordination.

Tears stung the side of Kasha's eyes as her breath shuddered out of her and her gut convulsed with her efforts to not begin cackling.

By the end of the bloodbath Denki scored a big fat F and Ochako reigned victorious with a beautiful B rank.

"Okay," Denki allowed, huffing and puffing, using his forearm to wipe the sweat off his brows. "So maybe this isn't exactly my forte."

"Yeah, no." Kasha snorted, flicking away the moisture in her eyes. "You don't get to take this with grace, you _suck_ Denki."

"Leave me alone." The blonde whined, unable to smear away his smile.

Ochako stuck her tongue out at them both and placed her hands on her hips.

"All Hail Queen of DDR, Ochako!"

"Never." Kasha taunted, tossing the brunette's bag to Denki, which he caught with a few fumbles. "Off the stage Mr. Two Left Feet, I'm about to steal a crown."

Denki bowed mockingly to her and stepped off with, "As you wish your Meanness."

Ochako playfully held her hand before her chest as if offended, gasping.

"How dare you! You challenge the Queen?" She demanded.

"Aye, and when it's finished I'll be the one you're hailing." Kasha sniffed imperiously.

"Oh? Well bring it on then snowtop." Ochako grinned, a fire in her brown eyes.

"Kasha, just try not to embarrass yourself after talking such a big game like last time." Denki laughed.

"Oh shut up." Kasha grumbled, fighting off a smile as she stepped up onto the stage.

Both girls pulled out the coin necessary to play.

"How about we do this on the hard setting?" Ochako proposed.

"I'm down." Kasha nodded, feeling a familiar competitiveness catch flame within her. It'd been a long time since she felt like so outside of sparring at the dojo.

"Okay, I'm recording this." Denki declared from somewhere behind them. "Tear her throat out Uraraka!"

"I'll make her corpse match yours Kaminari." The brunette grinned.

"Dark much?" The blonde laughed.

"You're just mad because she killed you at this." Kasha quipped, pushing her token into the game's slot.

"Shhhh, we don't speak of that." Denki said.

"Let's do this!" Ochako fist pumped.

 **3! 2! 1!**

 **GO!**

A fast paced dubstep song began blaring and arrows zipped across the screen, prompting the teens to move. Ochako and Kasha allowed their feet to blur across the pink and blue arrows beneath them, and all the while Denki cheered and catcalled behind them, no doubt recording.

Kasha could feel adrenaline begin to burn through her veins and it fueled her movements, her heart pumping blood through her as she danced and a genuine smile stretched across her masked face, unhindered. The flashes of the words _excellent_ and _perfect_ across her side of the screen only added to her joy.

All too soon though the song was over and Kasha managed to score an A while Ochako pulled in with another B.

"What? No way!" Ochako laughed, shaking her fist at Kasha. "Again!"

"You're on." Kasha smiled.

* * *

Three more times Kasha beat Ochako, and the brunette beat her twice. Kasha even got to play a few rounds against Denki. Needless to say, she utterly murdered him, and she _relished_ in it.

"Okay, okay. Kasha you are obviously boss at this." Ochako panted, offering her friend a good natured smile. "You win girly friend."

"Hmph." Kasha grunted, lifting her chin arrogantly, though she was half kidding of course.

"You are like, the Goddess of DDR." Denki breathed, looking at her reverently. "Wait. Dude, I _need_ to see you in a dance battle with Mina now Kasha. It's like, something I need to see before I die at this point."

"Mina?" Ochako asked, wiping some sweat off of her brow as Denki handed her backpack back to her.

"Yeah, you know, Ashido Mina. Bright pink skin, killer bod— uh I mean _personality_. Can't miss her."

Kasha rolled her eyes so hard she saw the inside of her skull.

"Ah, yeah! She's super friendly. I should talk to her more." Ochako trilled, pulling her second carton of milk from her bag before putting the accessory back on.

"Totally, she loves making new friends, she'd dig that." Denki smiled, looking back at Kasha. "But seriously. You and Mina. Dance Death Battle."

"What? No. I can't even really dance I'm just fast because I do martial arts." Kasha said.

"And Mina _can_ dance?" Ochako asked, brown eyes batting curiously as she sipped her milk.

"Yeah, apparently she break dances as a hobby. I've seen her spin on her head and it's the coolest freaking thing ever." The blonde said, eyes sparkling.

"Whoa, that's _awesome._ " Ochako breathed.

"Well, even if it is I am not having a dance battle with her." Kasha shook her head. "We don't even talk, that'd be weird."

"It'd only be weird if you made it weird." Denki countered.

"Still. It's not happening." Kasha said flatly.

"Kasha you are _such_ a party pooper." The blonde boy complained, aggrieved.

"Just don't say my name three times in the mirror at one." She deadpanned. "I'll show up to ruin your evening."

Ochako, who was again sipping her strawberry milk—choked and it spewed out of her nose.

"Oh my god!" Denki squealed, cackling.

Kasha's silver eyes bugged out in alarm, but soon she regained her bearings and her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners.

"Oh my gosh Kasha why would you make me laugh while I was drinking something!?" Ochako exclaimed, still laughing a little at Kasha's unexpected dry humor.

"How was I supposed to know it'd shoot out of your nose?" She asked.

"This is glorious. I love this." Denki told them, beaming.

"You're both the worst." Ochako huffed between her snickers, wiping away her gross nose milk with the heel of her hands.

"C'mon let's go to the bathroom so you can wash your hands." Kasha proposed, deciding to be the bigger person, already making her way towards the bathroom door.

"'Kay." Ochako chirped, following after the taller girl.

"Hey guys?" Denki called.

"Mm?"

"Yeah?"

They both turned to look at him. The blonde teen offered them a happy grin and a thumbs up.

"This is fun." He said.

Kasha paused, tilting her head a little and trading a look with Ochako, who still had pink-white residue on her top lip from her nose. The brown eyed girl blinked, and then she smiled, shrugging a little. The silver eyed girl was unsure of how she should be reacting. What Denki had said was a little out of the blue, sure. But… he was right.

Kasha _was_ having fun. It had been a long time since she'd felt so light in the presence of those not within her immediate family. She already knew she liked Denki and Ochako. That she thought of them fondly and as her friends. But now she knew that she liked hanging out with them in her free time too. Actually, Kasha would _love_ to go out with them again soon. It was… eye opening to say the least. Having realized how happy she really was, Kasha couldn't help reacting.

"Huh." She said, silver eyes crinkling at the corners, arching closed as her hidden lips lifted at both corners. Her mask shifted as her cheeks did with her smile. Ochako and Denki's eyes widened as they looked at her.

"Kasha…?" Denki whispered.

Ochako's hands flew over her mouth with a gasp.

Immediately sobering at this, Kasha asked, "What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"Kaminari." Ochako breathed, seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that Kasha had spoken as she turned to the boy.

"Yeah?" Denki asked, a look of almost reverence on his face.

"We've just been blessed." Ochako sighed, eyes falling half mast dreamily.

"Yeah." Denki cooed, mirroring her expression.

"What the hell?" Kasha muttered, eyes flitting between the both of them, brows furrowing in confusion.

Of course nothing was explained to her. Denki just shuffled forward, a dopey look on his face as he took Ochako's hands, her pinkies up to save him from floating off.

"My eyes have been opened." The blonde declared. "I need to change my ways to experience the shining glory that's been bestowed upon me today."

"I feel the same way." Ochako nodded seriously. "I can never go back to the dark days. I need to see our angel's holy light shine upon me again."

"Dude." Kasha said, utterly lost.

She sure had chosen a couple of strange people for friends.

* * *

 **I imagined Biceps to look like Johnny Bravo lol.**

 **Aikatsu on Parade is (so far) lowkey disappointing, so for now Stars will remain my favorite season.**

 **But seriously, I hope this chapter was okay. Honestly it was agonizing for me. I was so bored scraping it up that I rolled my eyes and groaned every time I turned on my laptop to work on it. Character building amirite? *Sighs***

 **Next Chapter:**

 **Cool Kids**

 **(We'll see some Jiro).**


	14. Cool Kids

**A picture of Kyoka and Kasha is on my tumblr: xxkamuisenketsuxx**

 **I don't own MHA.**

* * *

Kasha arrived home after her day out with her two friends, Denki and Ochako. Aunt Ryuko and Kaji were long gone, but she sent a text to her aunt to let her know that she made it home safely.

After showering, the teen put on some light blue sweats to sleep in and made herself a simple onigiri and miso soup dinner. Hair free and fanned out around her pale form, Kasha was lounging in bed when her phone buzzed.

 **New Message From Jiro:** _Yūrei, sup_

"Jiro huh?" Kasha mused aloud. "I wonder what's up?"

 **New Message From You:** _Hey Jiro_

 **Jiro:** _So Dumminari posted a video of you and Ochako on Line today._

Kasha blinked at the message, a little thrown off that Jiro apparently kept in contact with Denki outside of class, even though she seemed to get a kick out of teasing him. Though, Kasha couldn't fault her for that. Denki was a fun guy to pick fun at.

 **You:** _Yeah. The three of us went to the arcade. It was fun._

 **Jiro:** _It definitely looked like it was fun. I didn't know you were so carefree._

 **You:** _I dunno about carefree, but I know how to laugh if that's what you mean._

 **Jiro:** _Lol. I like how blunt you are. Not many people are like that. So far in our class only you and Asui are my kind of straightforward._

 **You:** _I'll take that as a compliment._

 **Jiro:** _Good, that's how I meant it._

 **Jiro:** _Can I ask you something?_

 **You:** _Sure_

 **Jiro:** _This is kinda embarrassing bcuz we don't even kno each other but I wanted to know if you'd come with me somewhere on Sunday._

Kasha's eyes went a little wide. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. Sure it was Jiro who had asked for her number in the first place, and one would assume that meant she wanted to become friends... but the silver eyed teen honestly hadn't been expecting to be asked to spend time with the other girl so soon. If at all.

She'd just come to terms with how much she liked Ochako and Denki, and admitted that she liked Camie as well. Here she was starting yet another connection to someone.

 **You:** _Why's that embarrassing?_

 **Jiro:** _Hey, if you don't think it's weird and out of the blue that's better for me tbh. But 4real I don't really know anyone in our class except for Yaoyorozu, since we kinda clicked after USJ, but I'd feel weird asking her._

 **You:** _Well if she's your friend maybe you should._

 **Jiro:** _I will, some other time to do something else. But what I want to do tomorrow is… I dunno. I just thought about you coming with me for some reason._

Honestly Kasha was flattered. She'd made such an impression that Jiro felt comfortable asking her to hang with her instead of the first person she clicked with.

 **You:** _Well, what did you have in mind?_

 **Jiro:** _There's this new music store downtown and I really want to check it out, but I don't really wanna go by myself tbh. Can you come with me?_

 **You:** _Sure. I didn't know you were into music._

 **Jiro:** _Well don't go telling everyone, but yeah. There's a lot we don't know about each other. You down to figure each other out?_

Kasha had a lot of secrets she had no intention of ever speaking aloud. Least of all to her classmates and new friends, but even still. She answered.

 **You:** _I'm down._

 **Jiro:** _Wicked. Meet me_ _ **here**_ _at 11 am sharp._

 **You:** _Heard._

* * *

After spending her Saturday at the Dojo getting back into the grove of things, Kasha was more than ready to hang out with Jiro on Sunday morning.

The teen stretched, made a light breakfast, did a workout routine and got dressed.

She was clothed in light wash high waisted ripped skinny jeans, a tight long sleeved white turtleneck with thin blue and red stripes, and brown ankle boots. She covered the lower half of her face with a dark gray disease mask with a red heart on the front, and she left her hair free for once, wanting to go for a more mature look. Jiro seemed like a really cool type, and Kasha didn't want to look like a bum next to her if they were going to hang. Her hair fell to shield the right side of her face thickly and she idly thought about getting a haircut.

Just in case she pulled a few hair ties around her wrist. After the teen grabbed her keys and a simple messenger bag to put a sweater in, she left her apartment to head to the location Jiro sent the night before.

It was another relatively nice day, blue cloudless skies and a gentle overhanging sun. The hustle and bustle of Musutafu's afternoon streets was almost tranquil, and Kasha made her way down the street calmly, hands slipped into her back pockets as she went. She was so caught up in the normality of it all she didn't even notice she strolled right passed her destination.

"I'm guessing you changed your mind about hanging out then?"

Kasha blinked, a little startled by the amused drawl called from behind her. She turned to find a smirking Jiro leaning against the side of what looked to be a coffee shop. The silver eyed teen was a little taken aback by Jiro's sense of style but it was nice. It suited the smaller girl.

Jiro wore an ash colored bodysuit under a white silk collared shirt that fell above her knees, held together by a purple belt. There was also a choker around her neck, attached to a gold chain that led to a gold strap of leather that centered her chest. The strap had a gold ring at its beginning and its end, a black strap extending on either side to presumably run beneath her armpits and below her bust to attach at the back. The sleeves of her shirt were cuffed at the elbow, showing off her bracelets. The look was completed by a pair of thick shin high black boots with gray soles.

"No." Kasha said, shrugging. "Just a little off in the clouds."

"Oh?" Jiro cocked a brow at her. "I guess everyone's full of surprises. You seem like a really focused and intense type."

"I have layers." Kasha quipped.

"Clearly." Jiro snorted, smiling a little. "Come on, let's head inside before I tell you what I've got in mind today."

"Mm." Kasha grunted, following the shorter girl into the coffee shop.

The interior was very "indie", with red velvet seating booths, band posters everywhere, and a rack for miscellaneously logoed cups for patrons to buy. A hard rock song ironically played softly from hidden speakers above. A short, shaggy haired guy with a face full of piercings and thick black eyeliner stood at the only register in the store, staring boredly at the two girls who walked up.

"Sup, welcome back Jiro." He greeted, his glum tone causing Kasha to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Yo Teddy, how's it hangin'?" Jiro returned, reaching into her shirt to pull out a small leather wallet.

"As good as I can be on the clock."

All three of them snorted. Teddy looked at Kasha, drab gaze shifting to amusement as the side of his thin lips hitched up slightly.

"I knew you weren't a mouth breather." He said. "Jiro isn't the kinda girl that hangs out with preppys, even if you look super mainstream in that outfit."

"Whoa Teddy, maybe dial down on the jackass meter?" Jiro asked, giving him a bland look.

"No it's fine." Kasha placated. "I don't care."

"Oh? Pretty girl's got fangs huh?" Teddy mocked, giving her a wicked grin.

"And fists too if you don't want yours." She deadpanned.

"I _like_ her." Teddy snickered, looking back to Jiro, who just rolled her eyes. "So, what'll it be for Jiro and my new favorite person?"

"I'm buying." Jiro declared as Kasha huffed in amusement. Then she answered with, "I want an iced mocha with extra whip."

"Mm." Kasha grunted, not wanting to argue about who was paying. She'd just get their lunch for them later. "I want a white mocha. Hot, no whip."

"Done, and done." Teddy muttered, tapping away at the touch screen on his register. "That'll be…"

Kasha tuned out the total in favor of sweeping her eyes across the decor some more. The place was relatively empty, but there were a few young adults on their laptops sipping from sturdy mugs scattered about.

"Bring her back here again yeah?" Teddy jeered, Kasha tuning back in after Jiro took hold of her elbow and started guiding her away.

"Get bent Ted." Jiro scoffed.

"Hugs and kisses to you both." He sneered.

Kasha rolled her eyes and allowed Jiro to lead her to a booth tucked in the back corner of the store to wait for their drinks. Kasha sat with her back to the wall and Jiro with her own to the door.

"So," The purple haired girl began, twirling one of her earphone jacks around her finger.

"So?" Kasha echoed.

"Ugh. I'm no good at this." Jiro groaned, slumping back against her velvet seat. She trained a serious look at Kasha, filling the taller girl with a slight form of apprehension. "I'm gonna be blunt here, Yūrei. I want to know more about you."

Kasha blinked slowly.

' _Okay… definitely not what I was expecting but kinda what I was expecting? Isn't that why people start hanging out? Because they want to learn more about each other and be friends?'_ She thought. _'And she did say something like that last night when we were texting…'_

Before Kasha could answer, the barista (that was thankfully a different person than Teddy) called out their order. Jiro gave the white haired teen a pointed look.

"We can talk more at the music store."

Kasha hummed quietly in agreement. The two girls grabbed their drinks and headed for the door.

"Bye cool kids!" Teddy called. "Come again Jiro, Cupcake."

"Eat your heart out." Kasha snorted.

Teddy clutched dramatically at his chest and exclaimed in false pain. Jiro and Kasha shared an eye roll as the door swung shut behind them. They sipped at their drinks of choice as the purple haired teen lead them to the original reason for them meeting up. The music store.

It was a nice place, spacious, clean, and it had selections of music on every single wall and at every corner. A long table bisected the store strategically covered in knick knacks like band merch, figurines, and shirt pins.

"Yo! Welcome newcomers." The clerk greeted. "Lemme know if you need help finding anything."

"Hey." Jiro nodded cordially. "And thanks, we will."

Kasha lifted a hand silently in greeting. For a while the girls just sipped their coffee, (which was surprisingly good) and Kasha sort of followed Jiro around while she browsed.

"You know you don't have to follow me the whole time." Jiro finally said wryly, looking up at the taller girl with a small smirk.

Kasha's hidden cheeks warmed a little, but not enough for anyone else to notice. With a small huff the taller girl offered a half hearted shrug. She was far from within her element.

"Lemme guess, you don't know anything about music." Jiro asked, hitting the nail on the head.

"Nope." Kasha admitted, feeling her ears warm as well. Maybe she should've said that before agreeing to go to a damn music store to hang out, but Jiro had specifically asked her to do it. What was she supposed to say? No? Kasha wasn't _that_ much of a douche, no matter how much she liked to tell herself it would be easier to not really care.

"Do you even have a favorite song?" Jiro asked, chuckling a little.

Kasha's eyes slid away.

"Oh my gosh." Jiro outright laughed. "Yeah, okay. This is officially an intervention. I'm sending you bands to check out as homework and I want a full report tomorrow about what you've learned."

"Tomorrow we have to go back to school." Kasha said.

"So?" Jiro scoffed. "What, are we not going to be cool anymore on a school day? You only chill with people knowing you dig Kaminari and Uraraka?"

"What?" Kasha blinked.

"Exactly." Jiro said, grinning a little. "So we can talk about the bands on Monday. That'll give you plenty of time after we split up today to at least check out some of the bands."

"Uh… okay?"

"Wow." Jiro said, looking at her, and Kasha shifted ever so slightly on her feet. She got the distinct feeling that at that very moment the shorter girl was looking through her, right at the _actual_ her, and not what she appeared to be at first glance.

That tiny hint of apprehension returned.

"You know, I know I've said it before but you're not really what I expected." Jiro said, tilting her head a little, as if trying to see Kasha more from a new angle. "I don't know what I was expecting, but… yeah. Wow."

"I don't know what to say to that." Kasha admitted. "But I'm sure I'm not the only person who isn't what they seem at first glance."

"Yeah, I know." Jiro allowed, taking a long sip from her straw as her dark eyes disassembled Kasha.

' _What's she getting at?'_ Kasha wondered. _'This is like the fourth time she's mentioned that I'm "different" than she thought. Even the first time we talked… it was like she was expecting me to be cold through and through or something.'_

It wasn't the first time someone made such an assumption and Kasha seriously doubted it would be the last, but why did Jiro keep bringing it up? It was like she was trying to hint at something. Like she wanted Kasha to just flat out ask what that something was.

"You know, my dad's a rockstar." Jiro blurted.

Kasha's silver eyes went a little wide because… what? What did that have to do with anything? What was going on? But before she could voice these questions Jiro continued talking, as if someone poked a vein and everything it held came spilling out in an uncontrollable flood.

"His name's Kyotoku Jiro, and a lot of people know that." She said, eyes sweeping low before they sprang up and locked Kasha's in place again. "I've had a lot of ass kissers try and use me before because of that, can honestly say I can't remember the last time I had a real friend, or even wanted one because... do real friends even exist? But, whatever. I like music too, and I'm told I'm good at it but letting people see that, see what goes on inside my head is hard. I've never let anyone hear me play anything. And I've never let myself sing in front of an audience, because that'd be putting myself out there in a way that's just too personal."

"Jiro…?" Kasha trailed off. She didn't understand, why was Jiro telling her such things? It looked like she'd been psyching herself up to say the things that she was for quite some time. But of all people, why did she decide that _Kasha_ was the one that should be hearing them?

"I've got secrets that I'm not exactly racing to tell anyone else." Jiro muttered, as if Kasha hadn't even spoken. The shorter girl sighed, and her shoulders slumped a little. "I'm sure our classmates do too. Everyone's got demons Yūrei, some just worse than others."

Kasha felt a shiver skitter down her spine.

But her mind hyper focused on that last declaration. At the way Jiro seemed completely out of her element, but refused to tear her eyes away from the taller teen's. When Kasha thought about it, Jiro obviously didn't really want to tell her the things that she had, but for some reason… she did it anyway.

Kasha's eyes turned glacial as she took a step towards Jiro, asking deliberately, "What do you know?"

Jiro swallowed as the pale teen loomed ominously over her.

"I… I was there." She finally choked, trembling ever so slightly. "On the first day we had hero training… in the locker room. You and Uraraka were talking. She saw your scars. _I_ saw your scars."

Kasha's eyes unfocused, remembering.

 _Kasha was shimmying into her costume, and had it around her hips when she froze, hearing a soft intake of startled breath. The silver eyed teen remained frozen and stiff as she listened to the sound of light footsteps behind her, approaching. Not soon after, Kasha got the sense that someone was right there behind her, she felt the warmth of a near presence._

 _'Who…?'_

 _She didn't say anything, just stood there with her back to the person, and her suit halfway on, her scars bare to the bright lighting of the locker room._

 _Kasha knew that who stood behind her was staring. Staring at the four, long silvery pink slash marks running across the length of her otherwise smooth back._

 _Kasha flinched, feeling a warm smooth palm laying flat against one of her scars. The pads of the person's fingers were velvety, like that of a cat._

Kasha scowled, taking a step away from Jiro.

"You…" Jiro's voice cracked and she cleared her throat before starting anew. "You guys didn't notice I was right around the corner. I looked around just to see what was going on and got an eye full. I never said anything because it wasn't any of my business but… I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since that day."

"Is that what this is about?" Kasha asked dangerously, accusingly. "Asking for my number, wanting to "hang out", buying me coffee? You just wanted to ask me about my goddamn scars?"

"I wanted to talk to you right away after I knew, but what was I supposed to do?" Jiro asked desperately, defending herself. "Just walk up to you all like "hey, I eavesdropped on you and your friend and I've been watching you since that day deciding what I should do to confront you about what I saw"? Yeah _right_."

"Screw you." Kasha scoffed, shaking her head. She couldn't freaking believe it. How stupid was she? What was she _doing_? Making friends? What a _joke._ Not giving a damn, she set her coffee down onto the long table beside them and made her way toward the door.

"Yūrei!" Jiro called. "Dammit… wait!"

Kasha did not wait. She would not wait. She'd been played. Jiro had acted like she wanted to get to know her, that she was actually interested in being friends when she really just had some morbid curiosity about what had flayed Kasha's back.

The white haired teen was purposefully making her way down the street when someone caught her wrist, halting her progress.

"I said wait!" Jiro snapped, whirling the taller girl around. Kasha snatched her wrist free, coldly regarding the dark eyed teen. Jiro faltered momentarily at her severe gaze, but then she shook her head, seeming to find some resolve. "Okay, so I didn't go about this right. I get it. It's also none of my business who or what did that to you, but I put myself out there. I told you about my music, my dad. I never tell _anybody_ about that."

"I didn't ask you to do that." Kasha intoned. "That was just your attempt at getting me to open up."

"Well yeah— WAIT!"

"What do you want from me?" Kasha huffed, pausing in her departure once more as she wrangled in her temper. She often came off as cold but there was a raging inferno inside of her and she spent a long time trying to cage it.

"I want us to be cool." Jiro said helplessly. "Okay? I'm sorry for listening to your conversation, I swear I didn't mean to, but it happened. It happened, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was just trying to get close to you to be nosy or something. It wasn't… it wasn't like that."

Kasha studied the shorter girl long and hard. But she could see honest remorse in her, in the set of her shoulders, and the furrow between her dark brows. Kasha waited a few more seconds, and then she dragged in a deep breath, blowing it as calmly as she could back out.

She was still upset. Someone else knew about her scars, even if it wasn't all of them and they didn't know where they came from. Jiro may back off now, as Ochako had… but simply knowing of their existence made people ask questions. It was only a matter of time. And Kasha wasn't looking to dish out any answers.

"Fine." Kasha grunted, running a stressed hand through her bangs. "Okay. So you know, but that doesn't mean you can ask me about them. It doesn't matter if you tell me every dark secret you have, I don't owe you, or anyone an explanation."

"I know." Jiro said, maintaining eye contact. "It was really a dick move for me to dump all my baggage onto you so you'd tell me. My bad."

' _Eloquent.'_ Kasha thought uncharitably. But outwardly huffed a little and crossed her arms, deciding not to give Jiro anymore of a hard time for it. She knew pretty damn well what it was to make an ass of one's self. She made a habit of it no matter how much it annoyed and ashamed her to admit. That didn't mean Kasha was immediately going to trust her fully, but she wasn't going to treat her bad for making a fixable mistake either.

"So…?" Jiro prompted carefully, offering a sort of wobbly little smile. "We cool?"

Kasha huffed through her nostrils again but nodded slowly. Grumbling, "Yeah. We're cool. Just don't bring it up again. I don't want to talk about it."

"Got it." Jiro agreed immediately.

After the two teens stared at each other for a long few moments Jiro asked, "So… does this mean I'm still allowed to text you those bands later?"

Kasha snorted.

* * *

Going back to school was not something Kasha was super excited about, but she knew she'd had a nice break along with her classmates after the ambush on USJ.

In a clean and pressed U.A uniform, black tights, a black mask, and shin high steel toed boots Kasha walked into her classroom bright and early on Monday morning. It was mostly empty with only Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki present so far.

"Ah, good morning Yūrei-san!" The class president greeted.

"Morning." Kasha grunted, sliding into her seat. Aizawa-sensei had cracked down on assigned seating after the first day, so Kasha now sat in the fourth row in the very first seat by the window. Yaoyorozu was in the same row but in the very back. Todoroki sat to her right. Iida sat in the second to last seat in the first row across the classroom from the silver eyed teen.

"Usually you cut it rather close getting here on time." Iida went on, apparently not finished with his greeting. "I'm surprised to see you so soon."

"Y'know," Kasha began wryly. "You have a way of saying things that would make people annoyed by you."

"Oh my." Yaoyorozu murmured, delicate hand coming up to cover her mouth.

Todoroki's odd eyes flitted to the white haired girl in surprise momentarily before he looked away, pretending to be uninterested. Iida's head jerked back slightly, as if Kasha had struck him, but she didn't feel particularly guilty. What she said had been what she felt, and she'd never been one to mince words when she bothered to use them. She said what she deemed was necessary. At least in a moderately serious setting, like currently.

"I seem to have offended you Yūrei-san." Iida said after regaining his bearings, standing up from his seat and bowing at a ninety degree angle. "I apologize!"

"No," Kasha said easily, inclining her head slightly when the bespectacled boy looked up in confusion. "Not offended. Just making an observation. But you know, maybe you should try to be less thoughtless? There's nothing wrong with being blunt, but there's a thin line between that and being rude."

Iida stood up completely, his dark blue eyes going wide in surprise as he studied the bun haired girl. He seemed to have just experienced an epiphany.

"I believe that's the most you've ever spoken to me, Yūrei-san." Iida said, moving closer to her desk. "Though I must say your words have merit. Even if you weren't offended I do sincerely apologize for speaking to you the way I just did. You're quite right in your assessment, I must endeavor to be more mindful toward my peers."

"Mm." Kasha hummed.

"Um. Excuse me, Yūrei-san?"

Kasha turned around in her seat to meet the curious black eyes of Momo Yaoyorozu.

"Pardon me," The beauty smiled a little. "Good morning. I just wanted to say that you handled that really gracefully just now. We haven't gotten to speak much since becoming classmates, but I'm glad to see you're actually really approachable."

"Mm, I see." Kasha blinked. "You thought I was cold and rude up until now, didn't you."

Yaoyorozu's cheeks flushed bright red and she shook her head while Iida's mouth fell open on the side lines.

"Oh my _goodness_ no I—" Yaoyorozu stuttered a little, cutting herself off before continuing with, "I'm sorry if I came off that way. I just thought you were a more reserved type is all. Though you seem to have warmed up to Kaminari-san I just haven't seen you interact much on more friendly terms with our peers."

"That's because I'm not here to make friends." Kasha stated truthfully.

Todoroki's eyes sliced into her at this.

"Yūrei-san?" Iida asked, uncertain.

"I'm not going to be rude, but I'm here because I have a goal." Kasha explained patiently. She was sure everyone in the hero course was there because of their goal to be a hero— _obviously_ , but many of her classmates were much more outgoing. "However people decide to see me is up to them, it's no skin off my back either way."

"Oh, I see." Yaoyorozu hummed, nodding a little as she smiled. "You're rather pragmatic, aren't you? You're saying you won't go out of your way to make friends but you're fine with being friendly with people."

"Mm." Kasha grunted, not really confirming or denying that interpretation.

"Well, in that case, I'm sure we can get along." Yaoyorozu said. "Hopefully I'm not being too bold to hope we can be friends too, Yūrei-san."

Before Kasha could say anything, the door to the classroom opened and Bakugo slouched in, one hand in his ridiculously baggy uniform pants pocket. Jiro and Asui came in after.

Bakugo took his seat behind Kasha, staring out the window after cradling his chin in his palm. Jiro took her seat next to him.

"Yūrei, good morning." Jiro greeted, smiling.

"Morning." Kasha returned.

The two of them had texted on and off after parting ways, and Jiro had indeed sent over bands she wanted Kasha to check out. Her phone was also full of inappropriate memes sent from Denki as well as a boatload of emojis from Ochako in the groupchat. At first Kasha had been a little short with Jiro after their little disagreement, but after seeing that Jiro really did want to get to know her, no ulterior motives… she decided to give the purple haired girl a real chance. Kasha was damn good at holding grudges but she knew which ones were worth maintaining.

"Good morning everyone, kero." Asui croaked, taking her seat in the first row. It happened to be right in front of Iida's, and he went off to greet her.

"Good morning Asui-san." Yaoyorozu and Iida said.

Kasha waved, and Jiro inclined her head while Bakugo and Todoroki ignored their surroundings.

"Call me Tsuyu, kero."

Silence swelled between the students present and Kasha basked in the peace, only to blink a little in surprise when she felt a poke to her right shoulder from behind. The silver eyed girl turned around to see Jiro's earphone jack reeling back into the violet haired girl. Kasha tilted her head slightly, curious. Jiro smirked.

"Did you check out those bands I recommended to you?" She asked.

"Mm." Kasha nodded. "Mostly Nightmare."

"Well?" Jiro questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I liked them."

"Gotta give me a little more than that." Jiro said blandly, rolling her eyes. "Favorite song?"

"Well…" Kasha shrugged a little, giving it some thought when she noticed Jiro was serious about having a conversation with her. "I really liked Raison D'etre."

The white haired girl noticed immediately when Jiro's dark eyes sparkled with passion. The shorter girl leaned closer in her seat, a genuine smile lifting her lips.

"Yes! I love that one. It's such a wicked song." She said. "The instrumentals are so powerful and intricate but it's the lyrics that really get you right down in your soul. And _god_ , the vocals… just amazing."

Kasha's eyes crinkled a little at the corners. Even if the knowledge was fresh she knew Jiro was really passionate about music, as well as the fact that she was shy about such passion. So to see her just getting into the subject was pretty nice.

"Yeah." Kasha nodded. "I feel the same. The lyrics really resonated with me, and the way the singer communicates his feelings is so clear."

"I _know._ " Jiro nodded, getting more excited. "It's like… like—"

"—you can really feel the sorrow, and how lost the singer is." Kasha finished when Jiro seemed to lose her words.

"Totally." Jiro nodded along. "You can feel he was searching for something,"

"Exactly." Kasha agreed. "And I liked how he eventually came to the conclusion that it was okay to not have all the answers."

"Dude, _yes._ " Jiro said, giving a "rock on" hand sign. "You totally get it."

Kasha smiled a little. Did she? She was just saying what she felt, but it was nice to understand and be understood in return.

"Tch." Bakugo tutted.

"What? Got something to say bomb boy?" Jiro asked, raising a brow at him.

The red eyed blonde scoffed, frowning between Kasha and Jiro both.

"You and Ghostface talk too much." He grunted. "It's just a shitty song. You don't need to orgasm over it like that."

Kasha's fair brows threatened to fly off of her head as Jiro's face burst into bright red flames, an offended scowl twisting her usually laid back features.

"You are way out of line. You probably don't even know what we're talking about, so why are you dissing it?" She huffed. "And do you have to be such an ass? What, got a quota to meet or something?"

"What did you just say to me?" Bakugo asked dangerously. "You looking for a fight Earlobes?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Jiro shot back, rolling her eyes even as her cheeks remained a faint pink hue. "Too bad for you my brain doesn't operate on the commands, "bite" and "seethe" like you, so you'll have to find someone else to hash it out with."

Bakugo clenched his fists on top of his desk and he looked ready to lunge at the purple haired girl, but Jiro was not going to back down.

"Hey." Kasha decided to intervene, gently poking Bakugo between his angrily furrowed brows. "Chill."

His vermillion gaze cut into her but she had already moved on, poking Jiro between her brows as well.

"It's not a big deal." Kasha deadpanned.

"Just who the hell do you think you're touching so casually Ghostface!?" Bakugo growled.

Kasha blinked at him, unmoved.

"If we were being too loud, you could have just said so." She stated blankly.

The ash blonde's glare faltered as Kasha looked at him, emotionless.

"Yūrei, don't give this asshole any slack." Jiro complained, crossing her arms. "He's way too rude."

"Maybe." Kasha allowed. "But arguing about it is a waste of breath."

Before Bakugo could get offended by the first half of her response the classroom door opened again, interrupting them. Honestly Kasha thought whoever it was couldn't have better timing. The way things were going this morning she'd be mentally exhausted before lunch. Aoyama strolled in, gazing lovingly into a handheld mirror, never looking away from his own smiling reflection as he slid into his seat; the first one in the very first row. He snapped the mirror shut after adjusting his swooped up bangs and slipped it into his blazer pocket.

"Ah, another day for me to bring dazzling light to all who gaze upon my _magnifique_ being!" He exclaimed, turning to his peers to offer a twinkling wink. " _Bonjour mes amis!"_

"Ugh." Jiro groaned, losing steam and slumping down in her chair.

Bakugo snorted in disgust and turned to begin gazing out the window again.

' _Crisis averted.'_ Kasha thought. _'Nice work twinkle toes.'_

The class slowly but gradually filled with the white haired girl's peers. Denki took his seat beside Jiro, and Ashido took her seat beside him.

"Yo Kasha! Good morning sunshine." He beamed.

"Ugh." Kasha groaned, only making him smile brighter at her gloomy disposition. He wasn't a morning person, but he enjoyed teasing Kasha for being even worse than him during mornings.

"Loser." Jiro snickered.

"Tell me about it." Kasha scoffed, sharing a short smirk with the shorter girl.

"Good morning everyone!" Ochako chirped, bouncing into the room and dropping her bag off at her seat.

She waved happily at Kasha before making her way over to Midoriya's seat. Asui got up from her own seat and followed the brunette girl to the curly haired boy.

"Hiya Deku!" Ochako smiled.

"Good morning Uraraka and Asui." Midoriya smiled.

"Call me Tsuyu." She croaked.

Kasha chatted with Jiro a little more to pass the time, and before she knew it, class was soon to be afoot.

"Alright everyone!" Iida boomed, standing up behind his desk. "Homeroom is about to start! Please get in your seats!"

"Well, that's our cue!" Ochako chirped. She gave a quick wave. "I'll talk to you after class Deku-kun!"

"Okay." Midoriya said.

"Bye, kero." Asui waved.

Only a few seconds after everyone had gotten in their seats, the door opened. Every student turned to see their new substitute teacher. Only, it was Aizawa-sensei standing in the doorway covered head-to-toe in bandaging. Kasha couldn't even see his eyes.

"Holy crap…" Jiro muttered.

Kasha couldn't help but agree. What was sensei thinking showing up like that? How was he even standing after being crushed like he had at USJ?

"Morning," Aizawa greeted gruffly, monotone voice muffled slightly by the bandages over his face.

"Excuse me!" Iida exclaimed, hand shooting into the air. "But are you certain you are doing well enough to be attending lessons Aizawa-sensei?"

Kasha watched the teacher as he paused, and it was only for a moment, but that was all she needed to understand why Aizawa was doing what he was instead of resting. U.A wasn't short staffed in any sense of the word, nor underfunded, so they damn well could afford a substitute teacher for a few days.

Shota Aizawa cared about his students.

Sure, he worked Kasha's damn nerves to dust on a good day but he'd shown what he was really like when he fought tooth and nail to protect the class. When he was battered to the point that anyone else would've fallen unconscious, he lifted his head, used his quirk and he _protected._

Even if Kasha disagreed with his methods sometimes she without a doubt respected her sensei immensely.

' _I think I misjudged him.'_ She thought, a mixture of guilt and humbling unfurling within her.

"My welfare isn't important." Aizawa dismissed easily. "Though, your own fight is far from over."

Kasha felt herself tense up, and she wasn't the only one it would seem.

' _What's he talking about…?'_

"What does that mean?" Mineta asked. "Is it the villains? Are they going to attack us again!?"

Aizawa paused for a long moment, and Kasha would bet money that he was inwardly eating up the dread he was stirring within his students. He seemed like the type to have a twisted sense of humor even if he paraded around like a bored, half conscious used rag. His actions on the first day with his "logical ruse" nonsense supported this assumption.

But anyway, only when the anxiety in the classroom was at its peak he announced, "U.A.'s Sports Festival is approaching."

"The Sports Festival?" Kirishima blurted, nearly standing up from his seat. "That's totally ordinary!"

"That's U.A for you." Sero snorted. "Always with the overachieving."

"Should we really be participating in the Sports Festival so soon after the villain attack?" Jiro asked, keeping things on track. "Isn't there a chance that they might attack?"

"Apparently it's necessary." Aizawa replied. "Staff are thinking somewhere along the lines of "showing the world that U.A. has handled and moved on from its crisis at USJ". Or that's what I've been told anyway."

"What about the issue of security?" Yaoyorozu inquired. "Could U.A really have accounted for this on such short notice? The attack was only a few days ago…"

"You should know that there will be five times the police presence when compared to previous years." Their sensei answered. "We are aware of security holes and are taking your safety very seriously."

"Well, that does sound safer…" Ojiro conceded.

"Yeah." Sato agreed, nodding along.

"In any event," Aizawa continued. "Our Sports Festival is one of the greatest opportunities you'll get, all sorts of people and heroes will be watching, opening up opportunities to shape you lot into _real_ pro heroes in due time. It's not an event that can be cancelled over a few villains. Rest assured though, you'll be given a week to prepare for it while the staff do the same."

Aizawa-sensei allowed the students to take in this information, trading looks among one another.

Kasha's mood was rather sobered after such talk, but still. It was nice to hear the school would be more careful from here on out. She turned, meeting eyes with Denki. He looked a little unsure, but also excited.

She couldn't help feeling the same.

* * *

Lunch eventually came around, everyone in the class practically buzzing with energy. Kasha listened to some of her classmates shout and yell in anticipation. Currently the white haired girl was organizing her folders atop her desk.

Kirishima and Sero decided they wanted to loiter beside Bakugo's desk, who was seething at their carefree banter as he packed his bag up moodily. Jiro had wandered off towards the back after bidding Kasha goodbye to chat with Yaoyorozu. Denki was trading jokes with Ashido, the both of them still in their seats.

"Everyone's so excited," Midoriya commented.

"Aren't you?" Iida asked, walking over to the greenette's desk, Ochako at his side.

Kasha raised her eyebrows when she noticed something off about her brunette friend.

"Of course we're in high spirits!" Iida exclaimed. "This is our first chance to add our names to the ranks of heroes!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Midoriya agreed, chuckling a little as Iida did a strange little dance in place. It kind of looked like the cha cha.

' _What a dork.'_ Kasha snickered within.

"Guys…" Someone said gravely.

Iida and Midoriya turned to face the voice. Ochako stood wearing the fiercest expression Midoriya and Iida had probably ever seen her make. Kasha was quite honestly amused, even as Midoriya and Iida showed they were feeling somewhat disturbed.

"The Sports Festival…" Ochako rumbled, punching her hand into her palm with a loud _smack_. "Let's do our best!"

"Uraraka-san..." Midoriya said uneasily, a wobbly smile on his face.

"Dude, what happened to your face?" Kirishima blurted, sweat lining his brow.

"Dude!" Sero hissed, elbowing the muscle head in the side.

"Sorry…" Kirishima muttered.

"Everyone!" Ochako yelled, fist pumping and declaring, "I'm gonna crush this!"

Many cheered in return, some a bit confused and others oblivious or uncaring about the shift in Ochako's demeanor. Personally Kasha had seen such a phenomena happen already, so she was slightly desensitized to it, but that wasn't to say she didn't _love_ seeing other people react to it.

Denki walked over, hands behind his head and fingers laced. He stood in front of Kasha's desk, throwing looks at Ochako periodically.

"Man, she's really fired up huh?" He offered.

"Mm." Kasha hummed in agreement.

Her classmates chattered on around her for one reason or another, and Kasha couldn't help feeling a little pumped herself at the thought of a good competition.

"And you got a little twinkle in your eye there too, miss ice queen." Denki pointed out, a sly smirk lifting his lips. Kasha scoffed, but didn't deny it. Though she knew what she was thinking.

' _Finally.'_ She thought. _'Something to look forward to at this school.'_

"Let's head to lunch now, huh guys?" Ashido cheered, throwing a fist into the air.

"Will you be on the menu?" Mineta jeered, only to howl when Jiro's earphone jack poked him violently in the eye, followed by a swift slap across the face from Asui's tongue.

"If one does not learn from their follies, one has no hope to see beyond the darkness." Tokoyami intoned, arms crossed over his chest.

"Eh heh heh, yeah man. Totally. Ditto." Denki laughed, brows furrowed in confusion as he cast glances at Kasha in question. The silver eyed teen shrugged, because she had no idea what the hell that meant either.

"What the!?" Mineta exclaimed, causing everyone to look towards the door in alarm.

There was a crowd of unfamiliar people blocking the door of Class 1-A. But they were obviously students of U.A, so they were from other classes.

"What…?" Midoriya muttered, blinking at the door.

Kasha and Denki made their way over, Ochako and Iida trailing them. The rest of Kasha's peers were rendered mute in surprise. The crowd had curious and even somewhat hostile looking students that put Kasha on edge.

"What are you all doing blocking the doorway?" Iida asked, chopping his arm at them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Bakugo muttered, shoving his way passed his peers. "These extras came to scope out the competition. They wanna see the class that fought villains and lived to tell."

"Bakubro!" Kirishima protested.

"Bakugo, you cannot call people extras just because you don't know their names!" Iida huffed. "It's disrespectful!"

"Fuck if I care." He scoffed.

Before anything else could be said someone shoved their way to the front of the crowd; a lanky boy with a riot of gravity defying purple hair, impressive bags under his indigo eyes, and a shrewd disposition.

"I came to see what the famous class 1-A is like." He drawled, eyes sweeping over them. "I have to say if this is what you're like I'm not impressed."

"H-hey man. We're not all like that." Denki offered shakily, smiling.

Kasha pursed her lips beneath her black mask, watching the strangers watch them.

"Did you guys know, U.A's Sports Festival is a chance for those in the General Course to prove they have what it takes to be in one of your seats?" Purple head asked, tilting his head ever so slightly, eyes deceptively lax. But Kasha could see something severe in that gaze. Something keen and _ambitious._ "So, I wouldn't get comfortable up there on your high horses."

"That's right!" Someone in the crowd blurted. He had thick white lashes and shark-like teeth. "And its not just other classes, 1-B has a bone to pick with you lot! We're here to declare war!"

"So," Purple head smirked a little. "Keep in mind if we're getting seats in this class, the ones who hold them now will take up the ones in the General Course in exchange."

Kasha could almost feel the apprehension rise within her classmates. Some of them were probably worried about being overtaken by the students in the General Course since they didn't know what would be going on during the festival. It was after all, different every year.

Another smarmy guy stepped forward to make threats and insult Kasha's class but he was swiftly shut down by a head chop from a good natured girl with orange hair in a ponytail.

"Whatever." Bakugo grunted, apparently having had enough because he shoved his way through the crowd, hands in his pockets as he made his down the hall.

"Hey wait!" Iida prostested.

"Literally everyone hates us because of you now man!" Kirishima complained. "Fix this!"

"It doesn't matter what anyone thinks." Bakugo paused, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. "So long as you're on top at the end of it all."

He continued quietly on his way, Kirishima's mouth dropping open as he and the rest of their peers stared after the ash blonde.

"So freaking manly…" The redhead breathed, seeming to be keeping tears at bay.

Kasha cocked a brow at the display, but didn't comment.

"Gah!" Iida threw his hands up. "I can't believe he just…!"

"Iida-kun…" Midoriya murmured, holding up his hands in a flimsy disarming manner.

Kasha turned to look to Denki. Her golden eyed friend blinked, and then offered a shrug.

Yeah.

Kasha thought that summed up things pretty well.

* * *

 **It's my headcanon that whenever Aoyama is being too obnoxious people make the "Excalibur Face".**

 **Fun fact, whenever I type "Kasha smiled" it's autocorrected to "Kasha smirked". I guess I don't say flat out that she smiles that often lol.**


	15. That Man

**There's a picture (digital oh my!) on my tumblr xxkamuisenketsuxx of** _ **That Man.**_

 **I don't My Hero Academia.**

* * *

He'd never been a normal boy.

At first, he couldn't sense it in himself, but he seemed to give others the impression that he wasn't quite _right_ easily enough. It started with his parents.

They saw something in him, or a _lack_ of something and sought to occupy him.

He was born to two modern day world renowned swordsmen. His father was a world class kendo champion. His mother was a world class fencer from America.

From a young age he was trained by the sword by both of his parents, and they were ruthless in their instruction. The tapestry of scars that became his body was a testament to this. Many people assumed he was the one doing the cutting and told him he was a freak. No one believed him when he said he hadn't done it to himself. Though that's not to say after a while he didn't see the pleasure one could get from being cut.

But back to his story… as he grew his resentment for his cruel, glory obsessed parents did as well. Because of his strict upbringing, he had no time to form bonds with his peers, and he never had a friend in his life. If he did, it didn't last for long because they either wanted to use him because of his parents' wealth, or found him too strange because of his lack of social development and body scars. His isolation as well as his harsh home life twisted him, and he soon grew to hate the scars his training had given him, the scars that made others steer clear of him for being a 'freak'. He became obsessed with beautiful skin, and knew if he had such a trait, that people would probably be more inclined to talk to him.

He knew of no way to reverse his abundant scarring, so he began to look for a way that might help.

He eventually came to the conclusion that he simply needed to make others just like him if he wanted to be understood.

Despite his scars and his strange eyes he found if he put in contact lenses he turned heads. Women found him attractive, but for some reason whenever he tried to deepen his connection to a girl he met to make her just like him— so that they could _truly_ understand one another… she became frightened and ran away.

He'd gotten quite tired of people running away from him, spreading rumors and making people treat him even more like a pariah. So he started to look for people to connect with in other places, places where he wasn't well known. But no matter where he went people were always the same.

That's how he ended up standing over his latest "girlfriend" in an alleyway, her innards spilling out onto the pavement as red spilled sloppily out of her cooling body.

He wasn't quite sure if he'd meant to hurt her. But he knew one thing.

He _liked_ it.

* * *

After the first woman he killed he found he couldn't stop.

There was a certain euphoria in slicing someone open, in soaking one's hands in sticky red blood. He'd even taking to licking his fingers sometimes. He liked the flavor of liquid iron sitting thickly in the back of his throat when he did so.

He became so enamored in what he was doing… for once being the one doing the cutting that he caught the eye of the public.

Of course no one knew it was _him_ yet, but the news gave him a name. Painting him as some fiend who stalked the night and preyed on unsuspecting young women.

The Ripper.

He'd gotten good at doing what he liked, smart. So he stopped his ravenous killing spree and began stalking his victims instead. His parents had forced him to continue his education in college, so that opened up many opportunities for him. A particular girl caught his eyes, but she was frightened all the same by him asking her to cut him.

She'd seemed so nice. Different. But apparently that had just been pity. Before he could silence her lying mouth forever she fled in terror. The next day he found himself being beat up by her cousin, a young man who often found reasons to pick fun at him beside his lackey anyway.

The sky above was an array of warm colors, turning more to the orange and pink side as evening slowly rolled in. He was leaning heavily against a wall in a tranquil neighborhood, his right eye beginning to swell closed and his lip was split. His nose throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and one more hit and he knew it would break. The two beefy thugs were leering at him maliciously, the thicker one holding him against the wall. He was waiting for the orders of his leader. Said leader loomed closely, holding a pocket knife to the platinum blonde's throat threateningly.

"I heard you like this, you freak." The one with the blade sneered. "You asked Rize to cut you after begging her to go out with you. What kinda sicko are you, huh, you little shit!? How do you think I felt when my little cousin came crying to my house hysterical because your crazy ass asked her to cut you on the first date!"

He turned his face away, disgust churning in his stomach. The thug's breath was rank and there was spittle flying from his mouth.

"Answer him when he's talking to you!" The one pinning him growled, shoving him harder into the wall, drawing a gasp and wince from him.

"I-I j-just—" He stuttered, cutting himself off. Why was he even bothering to try to answer?

Would they listen? Did they deserve to even speak to him? Of course not. They should just disappear. How pretty the world would be by such a small change.

Men didn't really do it for him but everyone was red meat on the inside anyway.

His tormentors only seemed to grow angrier by his silence, but before he could do anything something curious happened.

"Hey!" Someone yelled.

The one pinning him craned his neck around and exclaimed, "Who the fuc—"

"A kid!?" Yelped the knife wielding one. "The hell do you want?"

"I want you to stop treating that guy like that." The stranger stated bluntly. "I don't know what's going on, but this isn't cool you guys."

He looked at the person who spoke up on his behalf. Something people just _didn't_ do for him. It was a child. Someone who couldn't be passed their first year in middle school. She even wore a black seifuku to testify to her young age. She had alabaster skin, and big silver eyes framed by thick, delicate white lashes. Her hair was almost impractically long, worn in a lazy ponytail at the back of her neck, and she wore a cute pastel blue backpack shaped like a cat. In her right hand was a handled brown paper bag, and her expression held a conviction that sent a chill down his spine.

"Hah?" Huffed the one pinning him. "What right do you have to say that?"

"Any basic human being would have the _decency_ to say that." The teen retorted blandly.

Oh? He _liked_ her. She had a fiery spirit despite her elegant, unsoiled appearance.

"Wait wait, pause." The knife wielding one interrupted, stepping away from him. Unfortunately his lackey friend didn't let up on his grip.

' _Annoying…'_

The girl stood tall before the man with the knife, unwilling to fold after stating her beliefs. The bully noticed this, tilting his head.

"Oh, I get it." He said, nodding to himself. "You think you're helping don't you, little girl? But let me tell you a little secret."

The girl pursed her full lips at the man's mocking tone. Still though, she did not back down. Both bullies were several times her size and she did not falter.

He was _intrigued._

"This guy is a freak." The bully stated, gesturing with his knife at the still trapped blonde. "He cuts and talks to himself all the time, and my cousin, who felt bad for his dumbass went out with him when he asked her. He didn't even have enough sense to wait until they'd known each other for a while before springing his bullshit onto her. He just jumped right into begging her to cut him up! My cousin was literally traumatized by this bastard. So I thought hey, why don't I show him what it really means to be cut? Bet he'd think twice about shoving his sick fantasies onto people then."

As if such a neanderthal could teach him anything about the art form he was already a master at. He knew how good it felt to be cut. How good it felt to do the cutting. There was nothing such a waste of space could teach him. The idea was laughable at best.

The girl seemed startled by the bully's words. She blinked a few times before she shook her head slowly. It would seem she wasn't going to go along with his logic.

"Um," She began, voice slightly uncertain. She swallowed before beginning anew, "Well it sounds like he really needs help."

The teen's starlight eyes darted to his own ink pits. He felt the breath leave his lungs in a woosh as he stared back, ublinking. He was sucked into the depths of her gaze. She was so young but it seemed like there was eons worth of wisdom in those orbs. He wondered what type of things she spent her time thinking about, having eyes like that. Or maybe he was just imagining things? He wanted to _know._ Alas, the spell was broken when those silver eyes darted away again to the man holding the pocket knife.

"I agree that it doesn't sound like he's into normal things…" She said, his heart sinking as a result. "But shouldn't you guys have tried to help him in some way instead of bullying him? I'm sorry your cousin was so scared, but I really don't think this is the way to make things better. I think you might actually make them worse like this."

Oh. _Oh._ She _was_ different. Other people turned tail and ran. They avoided him. But she thought he was worth listening to. _Helping._

' _She's different…'_ He thought, eyes becoming heavily lidded as his gaze roved over her slight form. _'She's perfect.'_

"Oh, _I_ get it. So you think we can fix this fuckwad by listening to his feelings?" The one that had already proven to be more violent sneered. "Hate to break it to you brat, but guys like this don't get better by "talking it out" and shitty therapy. Piss stains like this need to be beaten into submission or locked up in a deep dark place. I'm willing to bet this little pussy attitude he walks around with is just a farce. He's into some really messed up shit, no way there's anything redeemable about him."

The girl bristled at the tactless and pessimistic words he was spewing, a scowl forming on her face. He felt himself go a little limp at the way she reacted on his behalf. The bully pinning him was holding him up now, because his knees were weak, filled with helpless jelly. Her righteous scowl raised the fine hairs on his arms, and a shiver slithered down his spine. His stomach filled with fluttering butterflies, and he wanted to be closer.

She was _enchanting._

"And who are you to make that call?" She argued. "You know what? I don't care, I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense. I've already called the cops, so if you guys want to explain to them why you're beating up some innocent guy and waving around a knife, be my guest."

She glared at both of the bullies, and he shivered again.

' _Perfect.'_ His mind declared, oozing sticky sweetness at the thought of her. _'So so perfect.'_

Her attention was drawn back to the guy holding the pocket knife because he sighed in frustration, shoving an irritated hand through his hair.

"You're a shitty, and nosy little girl, you know that?" He huffed. "Fine. We're bouncing out, but don't say I didn't warn you. When you're alone with this freak, he'll probably show his true colors."

It's not like he was hiding or he needed to because this girl was different. He knew she was. She would accept him, he knew. He just _knew_ she wouldn't let him down. She validated this assumption when she still didn't budge, even under those ominous words.

The brute that had been pinning the blonde began complaining and spewing curses, roughly shoving his captive onto his butt childishly and storming off the way the girl had come. The bully with the knife slid said blade into his pocket, giving the girl one last glance. He didn't see what kind of look the bully gave her, but apparently it was significant enough to have the scowl sliding off of her face.

"Better pray you haven't just made the biggest mistake of your life kid." The bully drawled. "You were warned."

With those uncalled for dramatics he calmly strode off. She watched him follow after his lackey. Shoving a scarred hand through his pale blonde hair, he stood up and strode over to his little savior, wanting to get a closer look at her. She was so tiny compared to him. Up close he could see the cute point of her ears peeking from behind her long, wavy bangs.

After a moment, those glittering eyes found his own. A short, adorable squeak escaped her throat when she finally noticed him. She was close enough to touch, peering up at him with those huge, ethereal moon lit eyes. He could see traces of periwinkle and baby pink scattered across her irises, like a sparkling diamond.

He felt himself become sucked into her eyes yet again. They were just so pretty. Suddenly it didn't matter that she was a child. Age was just a number, a social construct that he had no interest in feeding into. It was just one of those things that were, just as blood was red and his savior's eyes were unearthly silver.

He wondered if she could feel their connection. She hadn't blinked once or tried to get away from him. So it couldn't just be him.

Finally he offered her a sincere smile. Her lips opened a little in surprise, and he felt his eyes genuinely crease at the corners.

"Thanks." He breathed in a rasp. He didn't speak too much aloud, but to her he wanted to talk all day. He wanted to tell her everything about him and hear everything about her in return.

He couldn't help himself, leaning down until his nose nearly brushed her button-like one. Her eyes seemed to suck up the evening light around them, sending twinkles around the colors dancing about her irises. Her lashes nearly brushed her cheeks as her eyes became lidded, still connected to his own.

"You were… very cool." He told her, almost panting. His heart was pounding, and his palms were slick with sweat.

His savior stood still, continuing to watch him. She was listening to him. Could she be any more wonderful? She wasn't just leaving, she was allowing him to speak to her. He couldn't control himself, wanting to tell her everything.

"I… I go to college with those two…" He explained, now very much panting, his lips curling at the sides, eyes wide because he didn't want to blink and stop looking at her for a single second. "They... mess with me… every day… so… it's nice… you stopped them."

"A-ah." She said, voice cracking. She was probably just as affected by their chemistry as he was. So he gave her a moment to center herself. She did and offered, "W-well… you're welcome?"

He wanted to laugh. How charming. She was modest.

"You're… very pretty." He breathed, finding himself grinning.

"Uh, well… I really have to go now. I'm glad you're okay!" She blurted, adorably flustered.

She ran away like the cute little school girl she was. So she was shy? That was okay, he didn't mind being forward.

He waited a moment as a large grin split his face in two.

And then he followed.

* * *

Two years later he was no longer called The Ripper.

He had a new name he thought suited him much more, and it was amusingly ironic. It'd been given to him by the public when they found out the things he did to most of his "victims".

A lot of things had changed since he began pursuing Kasha's affections. They'd had a small falling out after he'd gotten carried away with her parents. And then he'd lost his temper on her when she wouldn't listen to him. He'd been distraught when he thought he'd killed her after slitting her throat. He'd just been so _angry_ when she told Kaji to run. Thankfully though help had arrived in time to stop her bleeding.

He'd been arrested simply because he'd been staunching the blood flow by hand himself. But it didn't matter in the end, because he'd gotten away.

By the time he escaped the authorities Kasha and Kaji had moved away. But the fates were on his side, because he saw his love on TV. She'd survived a villain attack. She was so strong and reliable. It'd been two years, she must not be upset with him anymore, so he'd decided to find her.

So he did.

She'd changed her name, and she lived alone. But it wasn't hard to finesse his way into the gated community she kept residence in.

With an anticipating smile he sat on her couch and waited for hours. She was at school, but he knew she would be excited to see him. He left a present for her at the door so that they could play a game.

Finally, he heard the locks click. He looked up.

Kasha was home.

* * *

 **I'm thinking I should give _That Man's_ point of view another go after this chapter. He's a very warped mind amirite?**


	16. I've Missed You

**I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

After school Kasha headed to her place of work, Sugar Stop. The day had been subpar at best, even after the other classes declared war on 1-A for the upcoming Sports Festival. Kasha was thinking about what type of training she wanted to do for the festival as she made her way into the café right on time.

After having a few days off due to the events at USJ she had actually sort of missed the small café with pink strawberry patterned wallpaper, black tiled floors, black booths with pink velvet seating along the walls. Her boots thumped softly on the polished floors as she strode passed the black tables centering the dining area. Camie as usual was already in uniform and manning the cash register when Kasha arrived at the back of the store.

"Sup Kasha." Camie smiled, fiddling with the stand for their cute strawberry patterned business cards. "Long time no see baby girl."

"Hey." Kasha lifted her hand in greeting. "I'm back."

Camie flashed her a sincere grin and the white haired teen parted the pink curtains leading into the employee only area to head to her locker. As usual she waved to the trio of cooks in the kitchen before going to get dressed. She quickly disrobed and donned her black maid uniform, her black velvet choker to hide her scar, her usual black thigh highs, and shin high black boots with white soles. Tying a big bow at the back of her frilly apron, she finished up the look by releasing her hair from her buns and redoing it in a thick braid over her shoulder. She applied her usual makeup and was ready to go.

Kasha made her way back to the front, clocked in, and got to work. Evening gradually rolled by and the customers trickled down until it was really slow. So, the silver eyed teen did a floor sweep, cleaned things up, and decided to just chill up front until she had more work to do. Camie looked up from counting her accumulation of tips and grinned.

"It's slow A F right now." She said, tucking the bills back into their designated jar.

Kasha dropped her "Yu-san" act since the three customers in the shop weren't paying any attention to them.

"Yeah. It sucks." She muttered. "I'm bored."

"Bet." Camie laughed. "Especially after the week you had. I mean, villains fam? And then a long weekend? You must be dying for some adrenaline."

"Don't make it sound like that." Kasha rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to be attacked and I don't want to be. I just wish things would move along."

"Mhm." Camie nodded, bottom lip jutting out in thought. "You're right, time drags when there's nothin' to do."

"Except count the money you conned out of unsuspecting dudes apparently." Kasha deadpanned.

"Hey, I earned this dough fair and square baby the customers _dig_ me." Camie laughed, poking Kasha in the side in reprimand as she said, "You'd get more direct tips too if you didn't make dudes feel inadequate just by looking at your elegant ass."

"Whatever." The taller girl snorted. "That is not true."

"It _so_ is." Camie shook her head, grinning. "You make playboys wanna go to church boo. You make them want to chop off their goods for getting hard when thinking about you."

"You're disgusting." Kasha stated dryly. She did not want to think about dudes being aroused by her. That was just weird. She knew biology was biology but come on.

' _It's decided. I can_ never _let Denki meet this girl.'_

"But did I lie?" Camie snickered.

' _Yup. Definitely a wise decision.'_

"Please continue to work Cami-chan." Kasha demurred, eyes heavily lidded to mask her annoyance as she walked off, appearing all the world as if she had politely excused herself. Camie threw her head back and cackled.

"Whatever you say "Yū-san"!" She called mockingly.

Kasha refrained from rolling her eyes to the point of pain. Luckily the door to Sugar Stop chimed as a new customer came in.

' _Or maybe not so new.'_ She thought wryly.

"Ah, welcome back Master." Kasha greeted with a saccharine smile, offering a uniformed bow.

Yo reached up to rub sheepishly at the back of his head and offered with a faint blush, "Yū-chan… you're back."

"He's been coming here during your usual hours everyday since you took time off on Friday trying to see you." Camie piped up from across the shop.

A violent red hue exploded into Yo's cheeks and his ears blazed as he croaked, "W-why would you tell her that!?"

Deciding to throw him a bone as Camie continued to snicker like the absolute pest she was— (because not even Kasha could handle such second hand embarrassment), she softly offered, "Forgive me Master. I've been so insolent leaving you waiting for so long. Please let me know what I can do to make your experience here today the best as possible."

"Oh, thanks Yū-chan." Yo simpered, sliding into his usual booth, not even bothering with a menu. "For starters could I get some matcha green tea?"

"Of course Master, I'll return with it shortly." Kasha bowed, gliding away to put in the order for his drink. His gaze was like a physical presence at her back.

A while went by as Yo nursed his tea and then ordered a club sandwich. Kasha was in the middle of sliding his meal onto his table when he looked up at her, brown eyes curious.

"Hey, Yū-chan?" He called.

"Mm?" Kasha hummed, tilting her head to the side in question.

"You know how you told me you go to U.A?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Do you have siblings?" Yo asked.

"Yes, I do. I have a younger sister." Kasha admitted, a little thrown by the unexpected question.

"Ah, that makes sense then." Yo nodded to himself, seeming to have had an epiphany. "I saw on the news a first year class was attacked by villains but none of the students were seriously hurt. I wondered why you took time off but if you have a sister in the hero course you must have wanted to take time off to look after her."

Kasha's eyebrows rose slightly at his assumptions. Sure, "Yū-san" was rather gentle but did he really believe her incapable of being a hero in training? Well, the less he knew about her was probably for the better. She didn't want him becoming any more enamored with her. Kasha just wasn't looking to be getting in over her head with a boy.

"Master Yo is so clever." She giggled airily, a dainty hand in front of the curve of her lips.

Yo's face exploded in a bright red hue, and Kasha bit the inside of her cheek, wanting to smirk at his reaction. He was almost obnoxious with the way he assumed things sometimes, but he really was rather cute and fun to tease. Kasha bowed to him as he spluttered incoherently, making her way back to the back of the store. Camie grinned.

"When are you going to tell that boy you could bench press four of him?"

"I rather like how we get along now." Kasha answered smoothly. "No need to fix something that isn't broken, Camie."

"Careful there Kasha, you're showing." The brunette laughed, sticking her tongue out.

"I'm not sure what you mean Cami-chan." Kasha refuted airily, slipping back into her work persona and offering a gentle smile, eyes arched closed.

"I swear, you are something else Kasha." The shorter girl laughed.

* * *

Kasha sighed tiredly, shuffling into her apartment and lazily locking up after herself.

On break at Sugar Stop she'd talked to her Aunt Ryuko and Kaji on the phone, and they confirmed they'd drop by after her classes the next day so they could all go out for dinner. Apparently Kaji had aced a spelling test, and Kasha agreed such a thing called for a celebration. The teen stepped away from the door, turning and pausing when her boot crunched against something.

"Hm?" The scarred teen hummed, leaning down after lifting her foot. An orange slightly thick envelope innocently lied on the tiled floor of her home's entryway. She murmured, "Mail?"

Kasha dropped her school bag and took a moment to remove her boots. Clad in only her school uniform and her thigh highs she picked the envelope up and reached inside. White brows furrowing, Kasha's lips pursed as she pulled out a single white piece of paper. There was only a short sentence printed across the center of the page, and it had Kasha's pupils dilating in immediate shock.

 **I've missed you Ka-chan.**

"Wha—"

Kasha cut herself off as a spell of dizziness overtook her. The teen stumbled and her vision doubled.

' _The paper…!'_ Her mind screamed. There had to have been something on the paper. There was no other reason for her to be feeling so out of sorts.

"Did... you like.. my present?"

"You!" Kasha spat, shaking her head as her knees buckled. It was him. _That man._ He was _in her house._

' _How long has he been here?'_ She thought, mind racing. _'How did he find me!?'_

Kasha leaned heavily against the wall of her foyer, cradling her swimming head in her hand. Her body wouldn't move right. But she needed to get away, she wasn't at all prepared to be facing him in her current state. Squinting, Kasha peered in front of her, catching a glimpse of _that man_ leisurely making his way to her in his all black outfit like the harbinger of misfortune that he was.

"Let's... play a game... Ka-chan." He proposed, a wide grin splitting the lower half of his face, abyss black eyes creasing heavily at the corners.

Disgust and anger churned within Kasha, all thoughts of escape shriveling up to die a pitiful death at the sight of his enraging glee. The teen shakily lifted her free hand in front of her, calling upon her quirk. One shot. She only needed one shot to turn the bastard into a heap of ashes.

' _I'm gonna fucking kill you!'_

Supernova lit her arm up with brilliant white flames, a jet of fire shooting from her extended palm towards _that man_ with an audible _whoosh._

At the last possible moment he ducked, white flames scorching the unruly platinum strands sticking up atop his head. Breath hitching, Kasha fired off another blast, but he darted forward, evading as he swiftly flung something Kasha hadn't noticed from his hand. The teen cried out as something lodged deeply into her chest. As Kasha's couch and carpet caught flame, the teen looked down to see a needle between her breasts, immediately pulling it out as quickly as her sluggish arm allowed her to. But it was too late, she'd been stupid and the drug had already emptied itself into her body.

"What did… you do to me?" She gasped, feeling as if her arms and legs had suddenly become lead.

She dropped like a sack of bricks, the breath slammed out of her as she collapsed onto her side. Kasha's mind roared at her to get up. To move. To attack. _Something._ She reached for her quirk, blood chilling in her veins when she found she couldn't reach it.

" _No… anything but this. NO!'_ Her heart cracked when she realized what was happening.

 _That man_ slowly crouched in front of her, and the teen sluggardly lifted her chin, peering through her mussed white bangs with livid silver eyes as his own soulless pair studied her from above.

"You remember this drug… don't you Ka-chan?" He giggled, his hideous grin curling evermore at the corners of his mouth.

Of course she did. And she remembered what he said the first time he'd injected her with it:

 _"I used... the same drug on you... that I did to make your parents... listen to me. Now your quirk... won't work for a few hours... at least."_

"You bastard…" Kasha slurred, feeling her joints become impossibly weak. They trembled and she slowly allowed her head to drop to the floor. She was having trouble keeping it lifted.

"I... couldn't have you using... that quirk... of yours in your excitement... to... see me, love." He explained, standing up and disappearing from her line of sight. "So... I set up that envelope... for you, so you... couldn't dodge me... when I… used the quirk suppressing... serum. Now… we can talk to each other freely."

Kasha's mind raced as she heard him using a fire extinguisher to put out the flames in her living room. She had one in her kitchenette, and she did not want to think about how much time he'd had to go through her things while she was at school.

' _Think Kasha_ think, _he's distracted and you're in no position to fight him or run!'_ She yelled at herself. _'I need to get someone to help me!'_

"Don't worry though... I'll...be fair." That man crooned as he continued to spray the stubborn flames. "I won't... use my quirk... either."

' _My phone!'_ Kasha suddenly remembered.

She only had a few seconds at best and her smartphone was in her school bag. But it would have to suffice. The teen rolled over, arms limply flopping around before she dragged herself with great effort towards the bag she'd left by her door.

' _Come on come on come on!'_

A small dew of sweat lined Kasha's brow as her heart stuttered a little with anxiety in her chest. Even if she couldn't get ahold of someone, they'd know to check on her after seeing she'd called. And to make certain that this would happen she knew exactly who to call.

"Ah, the flames… all gone." He said, unfurling a deep pit of dread within the teen.

Kasha open her mouth and yelled, "Riri, call Aunt Ryuko!"

She wanted to burst into relieved tears when she heard the tell tale sound of her phone pinging from within her backpack, a robotic female voice piping up, " _Calling Aunt Ryuko…_ "

"Oh…? That won't do… Ka-chan."

Kasha's heart fell when she heard that man tsk, as if she were an insolent child. The teen peered over her shoulder to find him striding forward like he had a right to be in her home. He reached passed her and snatched up her bag, eyes arching closed fondly as he smiled down at her. A shiver skittered down her spine at the display as he calmly searched her bag for her phone. It was still dialing by the time he found it in one of the bag's many pockets, but it was enough. He ended the call and dropped her phone to the floor with a loud clatter.

"Ka-chan… are you really... so upset with me... that you'd... cut our reunion... short... like... that?" He asked, head tilting to the side, blinking down at her curiously.

"You're crazy." She told him, disdain clear in her tone. She couldn't fathom how delusional he was. He truly believed that she was simply miffed and "playing hard to get". Even so, Kasha knew she had to keep him talking. Keep him calm. He'd proven before that he was extremely emotionally volatile and he _would_ hurt her if things didn't go his way. So she couldn't scream for help. She couldn't get any of her neighbors involved unless she wanted herself and the people around her to end up dead.

As much as it turned her stomach she needed to try to stay mostly on his good side so she wasn't a corpse by the end of the day. She needed to hold out until her aunt realized something was amiss and came to help her. Kasha hated the position she was in, and she was more frightened and angry than she had been in a long time, but it couldn't end here. No. She wouldn't allow it to.

 _That man_ shook his head at her words as if they held absolutely no merit, pulling her close to sweep her up into a bridal carry. The teen lifted her hand to punch him, but her arm flopped to the side limply, refusing to follow her commands. She knew she needed to play it safe. But his touch was repulsive. She didn't want his hands on her. This was the man that had tortured her, carved bloody grooves into her back and slit her throat from ear to ear. The man that pressed his erection into her behind because he was aroused by the sight of her body being torn asunder.

' _Don't touch me!'_ She thought, pulse jumping again.

She called for her quirk— entirely reactive, but it was like screaming into the void. Kasha had no access to it. She was thoroughly made defenseless. And though she had mostly been able to keep a sound mind, now that he held her close and smiled down at her with his twisted concept of love Kasha realized this. She realized that she was once again at the mercy of the monster that had murdered her parents in cold blood.

' _Dammit DAMMIT!'_ Her mind screamed. She couldn't tell herself to stay calm anymore, that Ryuko would come for her. It didn't matter because in that moment Kasha was utterly alone. She was alone with a man that absolutely terrified her. _'What do I do? WHAT DO I DO!'_

 _That man_ calmly made his way further into the drugged teen's home with her in his arms. She fought, trying to pull away but it was like her body had been set to slow motion while he remained unhindered. Her bedroom door was open, which she knew hadn't been the case before she left for school. The bastard had been in her house for who knows how long, going through her things… _intruding_ upon her sanctuary. Once they were in her pastel themed room he sat on her bed with her cradled in his lap, his free hand gently holding her chin, tilting it back. Kasha bared her teeth as he hooked a finger under her mask, pulling it down.

"How silly." He chuckled. "Hiding… your pretty face... behind... this little costume. Don't you know… that I'd know your face… anywhere?"

"Go to hell!" Kasha wheezed, tone full of unadulterated contempt. But that was all she could offer in the form of defiance, and it was absolutely pitiful. The first drug that had saturated the envelope made her sluggish and physically compliant. Her limbs wouldn't do what she wanted them to. Her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth, but at least it listened to her.

"Your wound… healed well…" That man observed, humming contentedly as he turned her chin this way and that, pit-like eyes studying the starburst slash across her throat. "I'm glad… you're still… so beautiful…"

"Don't touch me!" Kasha growled, pulling her chin away. Her body failed to aggressively jerk back as she wished, but she got her point across. Some good that did though, he simply took hold of her chin again more firmly as he clicked his tongue at her.

How could he have planned so thoroughly to physically disable her, then take out her quirk and still behave as if she was _willingly_ allowing him to do the things that he was? He set up the circumstances they were in by hand and still his delusions persisted. He was out of his mind and Kasha wanted so badly to be able to destroy him.

' _I let my guard down.'_ She thought venomously. But how could she have known? Why was it a mistake to allow herself to feel safe in her home? What was going to happen to her? _Why_ was it happening to her?

Why, why, _why?_

"You're not… still angry with me… are you…?" He asked, dipping his head to affectionately rub his nose against hers. Kasha's nose wrinkled in disgust as helpless rage swelled within her being. "Your parents… I got… carried away."

"Don't talk about them!" Kasha snarled, remembering the grotesque way her father's throat had been split open. How her mother had died in a pool of her own blood after being forced to cut herself to ribbons. "You don't have the right, you bastard! I'll make you pay for what you did! _I'll make you pay!_ "

But there was no place for her anger to go. She was in no position to oppose him. It was just like she was thirteen years old again. A helpless little girl at the mercy of a mad man. Against her wishes tears welled up in her eyes as she trembled, gritting her teeth.

It wasn't fair.

"Oh Kasha…" He cooed, thumbing away her tears, tutting when she turned her head away defiantly. "What are you…. so upset for anyway...? What… good... are parents? You're better off... without them."

How _dare_ he? She'd _loved_ her parents. He'd had no right to take them away from her and Kaji. He'd turned them into orphans. He'd _tortured_ all of them. Why hadn't he been punished for what he'd done? Why was he still allowed to invade her life and rip it apart?

She hated him.

Kasha hated him so much she couldn't bear it.

"I'll kill you." Kasha sobbed, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'll fucking kill you…"

"There there love…" He crooned, pressing a long kiss to her left eye, forcing it to close as he took a moment to taste her tears. "You'll… get over it."

"I hate you!" Kasha blubbered, feeling lost and pathetic, and _so_ helplessly angry.

"Oh… my poor baby…" That man crooned, peppering her teary cheeks with loving kisses. She wanted to spit in his face, rip his throat out and set him aflame all at the same time as he held her close. His presence was absolutely suffocating, as well as the most detestable thing Kasha had ever had to endure in her short life.

She just wanted him gone. She wanted his existence wiped from the slate of her life and she wished, wished someone would get him away from her. That he would stop touching her, _forcing_ himself on her. Why couldn't he just leave her be?

"I'll just… hold you… until… I have to... leave." He promised, petting her hair.

No. _No_. God please just make him go away. Aunt Ryuko… Someone, _anyone._ Please.

' _Save me…'_ Kasha thought, tears gushing out of her in an unrelenting flood.

"I love you… Ka-chan." That man whispered, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, slathering warm saliva up the side of Kasha's cheek. "I love you _so much._ "

Kasha screamed but he just pulled her closer, smothering her cries into his chest, holding her captive as he had since she was thirteen years old. She screamed and screamed and no one came to save her.

Kasha was alone. She was utterly alone, and she was so _so_ scared. She screamed and cried and fruitlessly struggled in his grasp until her voice became hoarse and pitiful and trickled away, until her lungs screamed in agony alongside her heart. But no one heard her. _He_ made certain of that.

The only thing Kasha had was despair, and _that man._

* * *

 **-Camie is lowkey me because I can't stop calling people boo either. I really need to stop lmao.**

 **-I just want to let you guys know,** _ **That Man**_ **is not an OC. I seem to have given you all that impression, but I did try to drop hints towards his identity.**

 **-Next chapter we'll see things from** _ **That Man's**_ **perspective again. It'll also be longer because I prefer to write their reunion with the reader seeing through his lens.**


	17. That Man II

**Guys… no. It's not Stain lol. He'd be way out of character and I respect him too much to reduce him to someone like** _ **that man.**_ **I guess it's hard to guess who it is because I made up his background but I'm not going to tell you who it is. All will be revealed in due time.**

 **WARNING: Non-consensual kissing and undressing in this chapter.**

 **I think you should expect blood from me at this point in time.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

He watched with baited breath as Kasha sighed tiredly, shuffling into her apartment and lazily locked up after herself.

She worked so hard, going to school, working a job and practicing a martial art. But she looked so cute in her spiffy little highschool uniform and her black thigh high tights. She'd always had such nice legs from practicing Taekwondo. Though he did have to wonder about that face mask she was wearing. She was hiding her beautiful face, and that simply just wouldn't do.

Peeking over the edge of the couch from his hiding place, he watched unblinkingly as his love stepped away from the door. Kasha turned and paused when her boot crunched against the envelope he'd left for her by the door. That present would be the start of their roleplaying game. He was in the mood for a little romance. He wanted to hold and cuddle her, but Kasha was so reserved and perhaps still upset about her parents that he knew he needed to help her along to their reconciling. Even so, he knew she'd love it once they got going. She was very passionate under that shy exterior of hers after all.

"Hm?" Kasha hummed, leaning down after lifting her foot. She cutely wondered aloud, "Mail?"

The white haired beauty dropped her school bag and took a moment to remove her boots. Clad in only her school uniform and her thigh highs she picked the envelope up and opened it, reaching inside. His lips twitched with amusement as his heart thumped strongly with anticipation as she pulled out the single white piece of paper he'd left for her. She studied it with an adorable confused crinkle between her brows. He bit his lip when he watched her ethereal silver eyes go wide in delight, following the single sentence he had typed across the page earlier that day.

He couldn't contain himself anymore. He needed to touch her, it'd been so long and she was even more lovely than two years ago.

"Wha—" Kasha choked, cutting herself off as the drug he'd saturated the paper with no doubt began taking effect. He watched her stumble as he stood up from his hiding place, rounding the sofa to quietly to stand behind it and watch her.

"Did... you like... my present?" He breathed, standing a few feet away from her now. She was radiant as she focused on him and only him. She seemed to be just as overwhelmed by their reunion as he was because she blurted, "You!"

He couldn't help his fond smile. She could be such a lively person, and he admired that. He had trouble expressing himself, but he loved that his little star never made fun of him for it as the people around him did.

He watched his love sag from the effects of his love drug, leaning heavily against the wall of the foyer, cradling her head in her hand. Perhaps he had used too much of the drug on the paper, but he had just wanted to make sure that it worked so they could have the best possible experience while they played their game. He calmly made his way closer to her, and she blearily looked at him.

' _Next time I'll have to be more careful with my distribution.'_ He thought.

"Let's... play a game... Ka-chan." He spoke up, wanting to move things along, a wide smile stretching across his face. He just adored her _so much._

He paused, curious as he watched the silver eyed teen shakily lift her free hand in front of her, the other still cradling her no doubt swimming head.

' _Oh dear.'_ He thought, watching her quirk activate, a trail of ghostly fire setting her arm aglow before a lightning quick jet of flame was shot at him. He barely managed to duck in time, reaching into his pocket and throwing with all his might in the same stroke as a few strands of his hair was burned away.

Kasha was already firing off another blast as he darted forward, evading her follow up attack as the syringe he retrieved from his pocket sank between her breasts. The teen cried out and he noticed the couch and carpet had caught aflame. He remembered he'd seen a fire extinguisher in her kitchen when he was exploring her new home earlier. He'd have to put the fire out soon, otherwise their fun could end before he was ready. He didn't want their reunion to be soiled by nosy people. It wasn't their business.

"What did… you do to me?" His love gasped, collapsing onto her side.

He approached her, slowly crouching so that their eyes could meet. She peered up at him with such passion. Periwinkle and baby pink glittered within her irises and his heart swelled and panged with his overwhelming fondness for her.

"You remember this drug… don't you Ka-chan?" He chuckled, amused as recognition lit up her eyes.

"You bastard…" Kasha slurred. She was probably a little miffed that he was being so assertive after staying away from her for so long, but he knew she would forgive him. They were meant to be, after all. And now that she was covered in scars just as he was, they shared an even deeper understanding than when they'd met. He couldn't have asked for more. But my goodness had she gotten a mouth on her while he was away. He supposed teens would be teens. She was much more than that anyway, he could accept her quirks just as she did his.

He watched as the drugs set her body trembling and her head thumped back to the floor tiredly.

"I... couldn't have you using... that quirk... of yours in your excitement... to... see me, love." He explained, standing up and going back towards the kitchen after scenting the burning carpet and couch leather more. He retrieved the fire extinguisher and got to work as he explained, "So... I set up that envelope... for you, so you... couldn't dodge me... when I… used the quirk suppressing... serum. Now… we can talk to each other freely."

He pursed his lips as he concentrated on smothering out the flames with the airy white flame retardant.

"Don't worry though... I'll...be fair." He promised as he continued to spray the stubborn flames. "I won't... use my quirk... either."

How could he do that? Though he loved his quirk for how easy it made hunting human prey in the night, they were supposed to be basking in romance; and they soon would be after he finished putting out the flames in Kasha's living room. He heard her moving around in the foyer but paid it no mind as he snuffed out the fire, thick smoke curling up and spreading out into the atmosphere. He set the fire extinguisher down, making note to open a window when he decided he'd had his fill of coddling his darling Kasha.

"Ah, the flames… all gone." He called to her, turning to find her closer to her school bag than when he'd walked away. His eyes widened in surprise as she yelled something unexpected.

"Riri, call Aunt Ryuko!"

He heard the sound of her phone pinging from within her backpack, a robotic female voice piping up, " _Calling Aunt Ryuko…_ "

Perhaps he had spoken too soon. Maybe she was still angry with him for the mistakes he'd made in the past, as well as the fact that he'd stayed away for so long. But he was just trying to give her space. She'd changed her name and everything, he'd thought he was doing good.

"Oh…?" He cocked his head to the side, not wanting her to be upset with him. He'd have to rectify things immediately. He tutted at his own folly and said, "That won't do… Ka-chan."

Kasha peered over her shoulder and their eyes met once more as he made his way over to her. He squatted again and reached passed her to retrieve her bag, offering her a fond and apologetic smile. He couldn't have outsiders coming in to whisk her away, not before they could get reacquainted with each other. He calmly unzipped her backpack and searched for her phone, hearing it still dialing by the time he found it in one of the bag's many pockets. He ended the call and dropped the phone to the floor with a loud clatter. He had a feeling but he still felt the need to ask her.

"Ka-chan… are you really... so upset with me... that you'd... cut our reunion... short... like... that?" He asked, head tilting to the side.

"You're crazy." She said in a cute pouty tone.

He sighed and shook his head because she was just too much sometimes. He just reached out to pull her close. She was so soft, warm and supple yet strong and lithe. He smiled as he stood, sweeping her into his arms in a bridal carry. The teen lifted her hand, probably to cover her face bashfully because she was just adorable like that sometimes but her arm flopped to the side limply, body still under the affects of his love cocktail.

He calmly carried his little star towards her bedroom, wanting to be closer to her in the privacy of her room. She fussed a little, embarrassed by being carried because she was such an independent girl, yet so coy about showing affection.

Her bedroom door was open as he'd left it, having looked around thoroughly. Within Kasha's pastel themed room he sat on her bed and cradled her in his lap. Her long hair cascaded down and touched the floor. It smelled like vanilla.

" _Too cute.'_ He thought. _'My goodness this girl…'_

He lifted a hand and gently took hold of her chin, tilting it back. Her silky bangs brushed over his hand, and he delighted in the intimacy of their position. Though he was soon distracted, quite curious about the silly masks she'd taken to wearing. She'd even been wearing one when he'd seen her on TV, but he'd assumed that was just apart of her Hero Costume. And my, wasn't that something? She wanted to be a hero. It suited her. She did after all save him from a life of loneliness and ostracization. But he wasn't sure if it was an ideal profession considering how the world was determined to misunderstand him and lock him away for living how he pleased. But that was food for thought for a bit later.

He hooked a finger under Kasha's mask. After a moment he slowly pulled it down, revealing her button nose and full lips. She really was quite lovely. No matter how many times he gazed upon her he was always dazzled by her beauty, both outside, and within. Kasha showed him her teeth, trying to look aggressive to distract him from her shyness at his proximity. But he wouldn't be fooled.

"How silly." He chuckled. "Hiding… your pretty face... behind... this little costume. Don't you know… that I'd know your face… anywhere?"

"Go to hell!" Kasha huffed. It seemed her older age made her more of a tsundere than he anticipated. It was actually really charming if he was honest. Even if she was surprisingly foul mouthed now, she was still cute as a button.

Curious, he pulled her mask down lower to study her neck. Guilt churned sickeningly in his stomach at the pink scar tissue stretching across her throat. He truly hadn't wanted to hurt her so badly, but back then they'd been so bad at communicating and Kasha just _wouldn't_ listen to him. But things would be different now. He'd grown since they'd gone their separate ways. They could make things work. Things _would_ work. He simply wouldn't accept anything else.

"Your wound… healed well…" He observed, unable to stop himself from humming contentedly as he turned her chin this way and that. Despite her scar her throat was elegant and the skin around it was alluring. "I'm glad… you're still… so beautiful…"

Besides, like he had already concluded, because they both had scars all over them they understood each other even more. Even if he hadn't wanted to nearly kill her by wounding her throat, their relationship could only get stronger from this point on.

"Don't touch me!" Kasha growled, pulling her chin away from his grasp.

He clicked his tongue, taking hold of her chin again more firmly. She was irresistible of course, she always was, but she _could_ be less tart about her shyness. He'd wanted for so long to see her and now she was making it difficult. He couldn't have that, especially after he went through all of the trouble of requiring the necessary drugs to insure they could be close like this and embrace freely. But perhaps, it wasn't just her shyness getting the better of her as usual? He'd had yet to address what had happened to her parents.

Maybe she was ready to talk about it after he'd given her space? There's no way she could hold a grudge for that long. They were in love and parents were obsolete. He'd kill his own if he ever felt the need to, simply because of how they'd treated him, but he was content for the time being to ignore them as they did him. They couldn't understand his needs and wants. So he didn't need them.

All he needed was Kasha. And all Kasha needed was him. He'd make her understand that.

"You're not… still angry with me… are you…?" He asked, dipping his head to affectionately rub his nose against hers. She smelled so good, like sugar cookies and chocolate. Kasha's nose wrinkled cutely in response to his affection and his eyes became heavily lidded as he studied her. Even as he continued with, "Your parents… I got… carried away."

"Don't talk about them!" Kasha barked. He flinched at her tone as she spat, "You don't have the right, you bastard! I'll make you pay for what you did!"

His heart splintered as she scathingly swore, " _I'll make you pay!_ "

' _Oh baby.'_ He thought sadly, feeling her tremble in his arms as her beautiful eyes welled up with tears.

Didn't she know that he was already paying from the sight of her tears? That he'd paid in heartache for _two years_ when he made himself stay away from her so she could have space? Why was she so hung up on people who couldn't do anything for her? She was so much more than her parents ever were. She was unearthly, she didn't need them to validate her, just like he didn't need his own. Why couldn't Kasha understand that? Is it because she was still a teenager? Could they really not understand each other more than they currently did until she was an adult?

It wasn't fair.

"Oh Kasha…" He cooed, thumbing away her tears softly. He clicked his tongue when she still turned her head away, wanting to seem tough. But it was alright, he could comfort her. So he did and said, "What are you…. so upset for anyway...? What… good... are parents? You're better off... without them."

He watched her big silver eyes shimmer with fresh tears and his heart cried along with her. He hated to see her so hurt. God… He loved her.

He loved Kasha so much he almost couldn't bear it.

"I'll kill you." Kasha sobbed, those heavy tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'll fucking kill you…"

"There there love…" He crooned, pressing a long kiss to her left eye, forcing it to close as he took a moment to taste her tears. He knew she didn't really mean it. They were so much stronger than that. They had a real connection and this little hiccup would not part them. It was why he had her cut herself two years ago, so she could be enlightened the way he was. They were both the same now. "You'll… get over it."

"I hate you!" Kasha whimpered, crying in earnest.

"Oh… my poor baby…" He crooned, peppering her teary, baby soft cheeks with loving kisses. She was so hurt and misguided, but he'd show her that he'd stick by her side through thick and thin. He knew she didn't mean it. So that's why he stroked her hair and promised, "I'll just… hold you… until… I have to... leave."

He continued to hold his love close and comfort her, whispering sweet everythings, because there wasn't anything qualified as 'nothings' about his feelings for the precious life in his arms.

"I love you… Ka-chan." He whispered, his feelings overwhelming him, filling his chest to the brim.

Kasha was so otherworldly, even with her face blotchy and red from tears. Despite himself he felt warmth pool thick and honey sweet in his gut, traveling lower as he studied her. His Ka-chan often had such an affect on him. Whether she was drowning in her own tears or her own blood.

' _Just a little taste.'_ He told himself, allowing his lips to part, a hot breath puffing out as his pulse thumped to the song of his love for his little star. His tongue fell out of his mouth, and he slid it up the curve of Kasha's cheek, tasting the salt in her pure, clear tears.

' _This girl... I just can't have enough of her.'_

"I love you _so much._ " He breathed.

Kasha seemed to become overwhelmed, but he completely understood how one's emotions could do that sometimes, so when she screamed he just pulled her closer, allowing her to cry into the comfort of his chest. She yelled and yelled until she was gasping and her voice was hoarse but he just held her and rocked her back and forth, pressing kisses all over her face and head as they both rode it out.

She'd always have him. He'd always _always_ be there for her.

Because he loved her.

When Kasha calmed down she was limp in his arms, staring up at the ceiling blankly, seeming to be deep in thought. He carefully maneuvered Kasha onto her fluffy light blue sheets, and this seemed to wake her up a little. He watched her pupils dilate as he swung his leg over her hips, straddling her.

"What are you doing!?" She gasped, hands sluggishly coming up as he leaned closer, palms pressing against his chest and keeping him at bay.

"Don't... be frightened love, I just... want... to see you." He rasped, his pulse fluttering faster at her proximity. "It's… been... so long... that's all. I want... to see... how the rest… of you... healed up too..."

"No!" Kasha croaked as his fingers dexterously undid the gold buttons of her uniform's blazer. "Don't you touch m—"

He fisted her white button down and tore it open, buttons flying in all directions as the stretchy fabric of the black one piece attached to her mask was revealed. Kasha struggled, so he knew he should assure her some more with, "No need… to be… so shy… it's just… me, Ka-chan."

"No! _I said_ _no_ why are you doing this?" She panicked, and his heart went out to her. Really it did.

He remembered how nervous he was to let others see his body when he was just a teen and experimenting with his sexuality. But this was _him,_ Kasha must know that everything would be alright.

He reached behind him, hand slipping beneath his black shirt to take hold of the handle of the army knife tucked in the back of his black jeans. He always had one on hand, even though technically he did not need it. Kasha snarled curses at him before her silver eyes caught the gleam of the knife as he brought it around his body. Her words trickled away and she swallowed thickly, studying him.

"What are you doing?" She asked deliberately, cautious.

"We won't... play today... since we're… pressed for time. But before I go... I'd like... to see you." He explained, taking hold of the black fabric around her abdomen, where the one piece was tucked into her dark green skirt. " _All_ of you."

Kasha's breath hitched and he smiled sweetly at her, using his knife to cut into her one piece, sliding it up her body, between the swell of her breasts. With a flourish he split her mask in two. He felt his eyes crinkle at the sides, flashing his teeth as his smile widened. She was wearing a teal bra. How cute.

"I don't want this..." She whimpered, bottom lip trembling.

She didn't mean it.

"No... I... _please."_ She gasped. "I don't want this!"

She didn't mean it.

So he ignored those empty words and sat back on his haunches, taking a moment to remove her jacket and shirt. She was quaking at this point, biting her lip until he could see a hint of crimson were her teeth dug into the supple flesh. Her eyes held a wet shimmer again, but he paid that no mind. He knew she was just nervous. She'd become used to it soon enough.

After Kasha was no longer clad in the top portion of her uniform, he slid her skirt down from the sultry curve of her hips, feeling saliva pool thickly in his mouth as he noted her panties matched her bra. They peeked out from the edges of what he found to be a leotard.

Slowly, oh so slowly he dragged the pleated fabric down her mile long legs. It was all very sensual for him, and he reveled in it. Though Kasha didn't seem like she'd be able to take much more because her cheeks were bright red and blood freely trickled down from her bitten bottom lip, a droplet threatening to drip from her chin. A single tear slid from her right eye.

Amused, he decided to stop teasing her and left her thigh highs on be because he sort of had a thing for that. Once more he retrieved his knife. Armed again he cut away the rest of her leotard.

When most of her lovely form was bare to him, he settled himself comfortably astride her hips again. Kasha was still shaking beneath him in anticipation, but he wouldn't take things too far, like he'd said they were pressed for time.

But after he left today he was off to find a source of funding, so that they could have somewhere to live together. While purchasing the drugs he'd used on Kasha a few days back he heard whisperings in the underground about a curious group. Funnily enough it was the same one that had attacked his little star's class. There had to be money and resources there. He just knew Kasha would be ecstatic when he got them a place where they could be alone together forever.

He wasn't sure if she'd still be able to be a hero or whatever, but they'd cross that bridge when they got there.

"You are… a work… of art." He breathed, looking down at her, slipping his knife back into its hiding place.

Slowly, he ran feather light hands up Kasha's wonderfully scarred arms. She flinched away from his touch, turning her head away in embarrassment, squeezing her eyes shut. He trailed his palms up her arms, fingers whispering down her scarred throat, over her smooth collarbones and soft breasts. He giggled a little, hands smoothening up and down the curves at her sides. Her skin was so irresistibly soft, so warm and alive. It was an interesting contrast to his rough palms and scarred hands. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, just feeling the pretty flesh of his love. But his Kasha wouldn't stop jumping, startled by his touch.

" _Poor baby, she's wound so tight she can't fully enjoy this right now…'_ He thought fondly.

He looked up, watching with rapt attention as her teal clad chest heaved up and down as her breaths left her in stutters.

' _Still so shy.'_ He chuckled. _'That's okay though. After I get the money I need we'll have all the time in the world to teach you how good I can make you feel.'_

"Ka-chan," He whispered reverently, leaning down, reaching up to turn her head back towards him so they could meet eyes. His black orbs swept low, taking note of the blood that had welled up on her lips, trickling down her chin. The warmth in his gut became a violent ache that pulsed with his need and want for her.

' _But no… we can't today.'_ He thought sadly. _'We don't have enough time.'_

She glared at him, and a shiver skittered down his spine. She really didn't like to be teased huh? Silly Kasha.

"You know… I really… love you." He told her.

"Just do what you came here to do." She gritted, but she couldn't hide the tremble in her voice from him. "Get it over with!"

' _Very well then, my love.'_

He allowed his tongue to fall out of his mouth again, sliding up the blood trail from her chin to her full, soft lips. Despite how impatient she was with his teasing, she grunted when his tongue touched her lips and tried to pull back. Kasha's weakened arms moved to push him away again. But he held fast to her, not allowing her to shy away.

He knew he'd never kissed her before, but since he had such great plans for them to be together forever after securing a place for them, she needn't be so apprehensive about physical intimacy. He gripped her jaw firmly and Kasha groaned.

"Too tight?" He asked, lightening up a bit but still squishing her cheeks between his fingers, forcing her lips to gape open.

He didn't wait for an answer, finding her just too enticing. He kissed her full on the lips.

"NO!" Kasha shrieked, wrestling her face away weakly. "Don't touch me! Stop _touching_ me you sick bastard!"

He smothered her cries away with his lips, a moan rumbling in his chest as he slid his tongue into her mouth. His groin jumped in excitement when she bit down onto his tongue so hard he felt blood rush out of the wound and fill her mouth.

Kasha squirmed against him, her cries muffled as he embraced her lovingly and continued to kiss her through the arousing sting of pain. He pressed his interested crotch against hers as he tasted wonderful liquid iron and both of their saliva in his own mouth. He slurped up the excess fluids rushing into her mouth, but still the warm mixture spilled down the sides of their faces. With a gasp he pulled away, a string of red tinged spit still connecting their panting mouths.

He smiled at Kasha, releasing her and leaning back. She flopped onto the sheets, so blissed out she stared absently up at her bedroom ceiling.

He could definitely relate. That had been amazing. And he wanted more, but he really should be going. With a heavy heart he sighed and climbed off of the white haired teen. He patted his crotch, trying to will it to calm down now that he was leaving.

"I… should go…" He told his love mournfully, offering her a reassuring smile. Though she was too lost in the romance to respond.

' _You really are a kid when it comes to love huh?'_ He thought fondly. _'That's okay my little star. I'll teach you everything you need to know.'_

"I'll find you again… Ka-chan." He said, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her tear stained cheek. "Wait for me… okay?"

Kasha did and said nothing, blood and spit shining on her chin, cheeks marked with tear tracks. Even still she was the most lovely thing he'd ever seen.

Reluctantly he turned to leave, remembering that he needed to open a window to air out the apartment. It didn't matter that the carpet and couch were ruined, Kasha wouldn't have to stay here very long after he got his money.

He paused in the doorway, casting one last loving look over his shoulder and grinning. The spit and blood on his chin was cooling, but he was too happy to wipe it away. They'd made it together. He'd like to hold onto it a little longer.

"I love you... Ka-chan." He said and then promised, "I'll… see you soon."

He left quietly, happily contemplating their future together.

* * *

 **-There's a digital picture of** _ **that man**_ **holding Kasha captive on my tumblr, xxkamuisenketsuxx. Kasha looks… *gags*. Lol but** _ **that man**_ **came out nicely.**

 **-Ugh writing** _ **that man's**_ **dialogue is so tedious but it's apart of his character. He speaks with a very slow and deliberate sort of cadence, kind of airy and far off.**

 **-Also, I feel like a piece of shit for the things he did. I can't stand non-con, but I can't think of anything more despicable than that aside from cold blooded murder.**


	18. Not Too Much Really

**Some very good guesses in reviews for** _ **that man's**_ **identity. I'm telling you now. You guessed correctly. *smiles slowly*** **I definitely did change around a few details for this particular villain to suit my needs, and I** _ **did**_ **make up his background but you guessed who it is anyway. Good job.**

 **Ugh this chapter was such a slog for me to write, that's why it took so long. My bad guys.**

 **The original title for this chap was: _Training Montage is Montage, Not Too Much Really_**

 **But fanfic is a bag of chodes so it wouldn't fit.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

She lay there nearly nude as he had left her, still feeling his disgusting hands all over her skin, staring with dead eyes up at the bedroom ceiling covered in glow in the dark star stickers that had once given her comfort. A repulsive mixture of blood and saliva had dried and crusted on her chin, the sensation constantly reminding her of what she couldn't stop _that man_ from doing to her.

Kasha felt utterly humiliated, pitiful, and enraged.

The drugs had long ago stopped affecting her body, leaving her limbs feeling like deadened logs draped in lethargy. Though her mind was unbearably coherent, she just couldn't bring herself to move. _That man_ made her feel so cheap and used. So feeble and _helpless._ As a result long after he had blessedly gone endlessly silent tears trickled out of the corners of Kasha's eyes, carving hot trails of liquid pain and hatred down to her temples to pool onto her pillow. She hadn't cried in a long while, but one visit from _him_ and the teen was reduced to a blubbering and pathetic mess.

It wasn't fair. None of it was fair and Kasha couldn't stop thinking about how fucking useless she was. How once again all her training meant _nothing_ in the face of that maniac.

In the end it would seem becoming a hero was a moot effort, because her elusive tormentor had found _her_. He found her no matter the change from Tsuchikawa to Yūrei, no matter the masks that hid her face. No matter the supposedly safe enclosed apartment complex she resided in. He'd found her and he had no intention of leaving her alone.

Unblinkingly, with tear filled eyes Kasha stared up at her ceiling and she promised herself. She _promised_ she would make _that man_ suffer.

The teen didn't know how many hours had gone by. It could have been an eternity and she wouldn't have noticed, too absorbed with stewing in her misery and the aftershocks of true terror. She thought he would rape her when he forced himself unbearably close to her. When he _got on top_ of her and tore apart her clothes. When he touched and caressed her as if he wasn't absolutely revolting. She could still vividly remember the slimy sensation of his large tongue in her mouth, the foul taste of fresh blood and spit and the feeling of him moaning and pressing his repugnant erection against her crotch.

Her battered heart cried out for her to stop thinking about it. To stop forcing herself to remember every single detail of the encounter but _no._ Kasha would not stop. All of the memories she had of _that man_ would only serve to remind her and drive home the importance of her goal.

She despised the memories and she despised that wretched man, and that would give her strength. The teen was determined to turn her overwhelming feelings into power. Kasha was out of time. She'd spent too much time on less important things, she realized this now. And she'd paid for it. The next time she wouldn't be so foolish.

Kasha knew if she didn't get rid of _that man_ when he found his way back to her that it would only be a matter of time before he _did_ force himself on her in _that_ way. He had threatened to do so before. He'd even threatened to do it to Kaji. That was how he'd coerced Kasha into cutting her own arms apart.

But the joke was on him, because Kasha was not going to allow him to have his way again. She would not be blindsided again, and he _would not_ hurt her _ever_ again! With that thunderous thought her tears finally trickled away for the last time, though she still did not move from where he'd left her earlier in her bed.

Kasha simply continued to think for the time being, something within her growing and growing uncontrollably as time progressed.

The teen was so lost within her cesspool of negative emotions that when she heard a familiar voice call out to her sometime later she couldn't even bring herself to care. She didn't feel relieved or safe.

All Kasha could feel was rage.

* * *

Ryuko burst into Kasha's apartment.

The door was unlocked and that only served to send her parental anxiety skyrocketing. She'd of course called the police after receiving a call from Eraserhead about an hour ago, but she'd known already how that would go. They didn't know if the teen was missing but it certainly hadn't been twenty four hours since Ryuko had last spoken to her. That's why the pro hero had traced the teen's phone _herself_ and rushed over to her niece's apartment when she realized what her location supposedly was.

There was no guarantee that something was wrong but Ryuko wasn't an idiot and her intuition proved correct when she immediately noted that there was a scorched area on Kasha's living room carpet and the couch was also burned. It smelled faintly of smoke in the house and there was a note on the floor of the foyer, crumpled as if whoever held it crushed it in their hands with temper. Kasha's phone and school bag also lay on the floor, as if tossed there carelessly. So the teen had made it home, but that didn't explain much of anything.

"Kasha!" Ryuko bellowed, running through the apartment. "Kasha baby are you here?"

No response came but Ryuko was already down the hall, heart thundering in her chest and breath short as she stood in the open doorway of her niece's bedroom. The pro hero's pupils dilated and horror slackened her face as she caught sight of Kasha lying in the middle of her bed, the pastel comforter ruffled as if a struggle had happened there.

"Oh my god Kasha!" The pro cried rushing to the teen's side.

She was naked, only in her underwear and there was dried blood on her chin, her bottom lip bitten and raw. My god her teenage niece was naked and _crying_ in her bed. When was the last time Ryuko had seen Kasha crying? _What_ had happened to her? _How_ could this have happened? Who was responsible for this? Ryuko needed to know so she could kill them.

"Kasha can you hear me? What happened?" Ryuko demanded, wanting to touch her, cradle her teary face in her hands but thinking better of it.

The teen did not answer.

Whatever had happened she shouldn't touch Kasha. She could send her into a panic attack or a catatonic state. Ryuko bit her lip as she was ignored, worriedly watching Kasha blink lethargically up at her ceiling.

Someone was going to pay for this.

No one was allowed to hurt her brother's children. Ryuko was their sole protector now, but now she couldn't even say that, could she?

Kasha was obviously suffering immensely and there wasn't anything Ryuko could do to help her. What good was she as a guardian if she couldn't even look after her babies? A sickening cocktail of despair, righteous anger and protectiveness churned within the pro hero, but she knew she couldn't do anything for Kasha except get her to a hospital and contact the police for an investigation.

The blonde woman pulled out her phone and made a call. The entire time she was on the phone her blue eyes traveled to Kasha, who seemed emotionally dead to the world.

But when Ryuko looked into the teen's eyes she felt a sudden dread swirl inside of her. The hairs on her arms rose on end and Ryuko knew immediately.

She knew that there was nothing dead about Kasha.

* * *

Sometime later the teen sat in the hospital hooked up to an IV as her system was flushed. The effects of the drug had mostly worn off but there were still traces, apparently. The bite in her lip wasn't serious, so it was simply cleaned and bandaged.

She'd had to undergo a rape kit test, even though she had blandly told the doctors and Ryuko that she hadn't been touched like that. Her aunt had been incredibly relieved to hear that, but she was obviously still worried after the teen. Kasha could also tell the woman was angry on her behalf at the man that had murdered her older brother— who had come back to torment her niece some more.

But more presently the teen finished up giving her statement to the police and they left her hospital room calmly after wishing her well. Kasha didn't dignify that with a response because she wouldn't be well until her personal monster was a heap of ashes at her feet. Ryuko, who had refused to leave her side during the process threw herself down to the teen's bedside, taking one of Kasha's limp hands and cradling it in both of her own.

Kasha didn't particularly want to be touched at the moment but she didn't pull away. It wasn't Ryuko who she was disgusted with.

"I… I got a call." Ryuko warbled, fighting off tears. "Eraserhead told me you never showed up for homeroom."

' _So it_ is _a new day…'_ She thought blankly.

"I went to call you to see if you were sick or something and I noticed that I had a missed call." The hero explained repentantly. "But at the time you called, Kaji had been watching my phone for me. She didn't think anything of you hanging up before she could answer, she just assumed you were busy or didn't mean to dial me and cleared my notifications of a missed call."

Kasha didn't say anything. What was there to say to that? Kaji was a seven year old girl, she couldn't have known to be suspicious or concerned. And it was obvious as soon as Ryuko had noticed something was amiss she'd rushed to find Kasha.

"God Kasha... I'm so sorry baby." Her aunty sobbed, tears gushing out of her mournful blue eyes. "You were supposed to be safe there. I'm so _so_ sorry he hurt you again."

"It's not your fault he's crazy." The teen deadpanned.

Ryuko flinched. That was the first thing Kasha said to her since she'd found the teen.

"Kasha…" The pro began, uncertain and obviously thrown off by the teen's demeanor. But the silver eyed girl didn't want to wait until Ryuko figured out what she wanted to say. Nothing the hero could or would say would change a goddamn thing, so Kasha knew that she needed to change things with her _own_ hands. And it started here.

It started _now._

"I need time." Kasha intoned.

"Kasha, honey… you… what's going on in your head? Please, tell me." Ryuko pried carefully. "I know you're not okay but you're not giving me anything to work with here."

There was nothing Ryuko could do. Nothing anyone could do. _That man_ escaped authorities time and time again. But he'd find his way back to Kasha. She knew he would. And when he did...

"I need time." She repeated blankly.

"Kasha…" Ryuko croaked, looking at the teen with watery blue eyes, lips trembling as she tried to suppress the force of her worry for the teen.

Kasha turned her head fully, sky meeting silver. Ryuko recoiled at whatever she saw in Kasha's gaze, even though the rest of the teen's face remained solemn.

"I need time."

"O-okay." Ryuko stuttered, nodding. "Okay Kasha. Whatever you need. How… how much time? You know you're going to have to talk about this…"

"I want to go to the Mountain." Kasha declared.

"What?" Ryuko's head jerked back in surprise, gasping slightly.

"The Mountain." Kasha repeated flatly. "The one you co-own."

"Oh." Ryuko whispered, pulling her hands away from her niece, studying the girl with furrowed blonde brows. "But… what? Kasha, why?"

"There's a week until U.A's annual sports festival." Kasha blinked, turning her head away to stare blankly at the wall across from her. There was a small chip in the white paint. "Hero classes will be less intense as everyone prepares. Just tell my teachers what I told you."

"What?" Ryuko downright frowned at this.

"Tell them I need time. That something happened and I need a break." Kasha said. "I'll go back to school in one week."

That was all the time she needed to prepare something special for _that man._ When the festival came she'd test it out no holds barred, and when _he_ showed his despicable face again she'd show him what happened to scum like him.

"Kasha, I understand why you'd want time to yourself but what would you even do up there?" Ryuko asked.

Kasha didn't answer.

The teen felt her aunt's stare at the side of her head intensely, but she still didn't look back or respond. She'd made up her mind, and she would find a way to train the way she pleased whether Ryuko liked it or not.

After several seconds the blonde pro sighed reluctantly and muttered a bit of nonsense to herself, running a hand through the long bangs in front of her face as she declared, "Well, alright then. I'll put in my request for time off. I'll head up there with you and my teammates after you're released from the hospital. We can all make a little thing of it. Blow off some steam…"

Kasha nodded once in acknowledgement. There was nothing else to say, she was already well on her way to her goal.

* * *

Several more hours later Kasha sat alone in the back row of a van owned by the Wild Wild Pussycats.

Ryuko sat in the row in front of her with Kota Izumi on her left and Kaji on her right. Yawara Chatora sat in front of them with Tomoko Shiretoko at his left, blinking rapidly at the passing scenery. Shino Sasaki sat upfront alone driving the van.

"I still don't get it." Kota grumbled for the nth time. "Just because Kasha-nee felt like she needed a break from school how come the rest of us need to be dragged out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Kota-kun, I thought you liked visits to the Mountain?" Kaji asked, peering around Ryuko's body to blink at him. Before Kouta could even open his mouth to retort he was cut off.

"That's right!" Ryuko chirped with blatantly false cheer, snatching up the opportunity to change the subject. "We're going to have so much fun during this little get away! You can go to your secret base Kota-kun, and none of those kids you're always complaining about from your class will bother you for a while yet. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Well, those guys _are_ really annoying…" Kouta mumbled thoughtfully.

"Kouta-kun…" Kaji protested.

"See!" Ryuko laughed. "You get it kid."

"Ryuko, you really shouldn't be encouraging his antisocial behavior." Shino called from upfront in reprimand.

"Oh I know but first he needs to have some fun, ne?" Ryuko asked, sticking her tongue out teasingly. "Maybe after he finds a bunch of stuff he likes he can learn to like other people too."

"That's right everyone, we should all be happier! Smile like you just saw a cute little kitty, meow!" Tomoko cheered, flailing around in her seat like a hyper toddler.

"Tomoko be careful I'm driving!" Shino laughed, leaning forward towards the wheel to avoid her teammate's wild limbs.

Kasha stared solemnly into her lap.

She knew what the adults were doing. They were trying to be normal, happy. Act as if Kasha hadn't just been assaulted so she could save some face before they got tired of her retreated disposition and started to nag her about "talking to someone". But it wasn't going to work.

Kasha didn't want to save face. She wanted that murderer to _suffer._ And she wasn't going to bawl her eyes out to someone paid to listen to her problems either. She was going to take matters into her own hands so she could stop feeling the way that she did. No one was going to save her, that wasn't herself. That fact had already been proven to her many times. The lesson had only been refreshed while she spent time with _that man._

She didn't need another reminder.

"Hmph!" Kouta turned his nose up. "Idiots. All of you."

"Kasha Onee-chan," Kaji called softly, turning to crane her neck to look at her sister.

Kasha pursed her lips beneath her black face mask. She didn't want to be unkind to Kaji. She wasn't angry with her, and the little girl didn't deserve the butt end of Kasha's foul mood.

Near identical silver eyes met.

"Are you okay?" Kaji whispered, a little furrow between her fair blonde brows. "You're really quiet…"

"I'm fine." Kasha lied quietly, tearing her eyes away from those large innocent silvers. Kaji didn't need to know that _he_ was back. That he'd gotten to the teen again. _That man_ wasn't after Kaji and it was better if he was snuffed out as soon as possible before the little girl ever had the misfortune of hearing about him being around or meeting him again.

"Nee-chan?" The seven year old called. She sounded concerned, and Kasha's heart squeezed but she didn't turn to look at the younger girl again.

Right now she just… couldn't.

"Kaji baby, let's leave Kasha alone right now okay?" Ryuko interrupted, placing a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "She's had a long day and we need to give her time."

"But—"

"I know you're worried kitten but she'll be okay." Ryuko promised, smiling with a sincerity that should've been criminal, because everyone in the car that wasn't a small child recognized the uncertainty lapping at the borders of her tone. "The three of us were supposed to celebrate you acing that spelling test today, right? Well you can celebrate it with me and the rest of the gang! How does that sound?"

"But—" Kaji stammered. "But Nee-chan—"

"Is juuuust fine, right everyone?" Ryuko blurted.

"Yeah!" Tomoko cheered, fists flying into the air. "Kasha-kitty is A-okay little Kaji! So no worries alright?"

"She's a tough kid." Yawara rumbled.

"So turn that frown upside down okay Kaji-chan?" Shino concluded. "We're all together and that's what matters right now."

"Well said." Ryuko nodded, looking back to Kaji.

The little girl frowned but slowly nodded, seemingly mollified for the time being, though still visibly troubled.

"Everyone's good?" Kota snapped. "Great. Now shut up already!"

Ryuko teased him for being a stick in the mud and Tomoko called him cute, whilst Yawara remained silent and side eyed them and Shino continued smoothly driving even while she reprimanded her more goofy partners.

Kasha went back to staring at her lap.

She disliked worrying Kaji, but she simply didn't want to be bothered, even if it was by someone that she absolutely adored. She'd get her act together for her family, but for the time being she would take some time to center herself and become stronger.

So thats what she was going to do.

* * *

The gang spent their time settling in after arriving and everyone had a bath before they made dinner and turned in for the night. Kasha would have liked to start her self appointed training regimen immediately but she knew she should rest herself so she would be fresh in the morning.

She had basically a week to prepare what she had in mind. That should be more than enough time if she remained focused.

So she calmly went to lay down beside her sister while Kota snoozed on Kaji's left side. The adults were still wide awake down the hall, probably discussing Kasha's situation since they hadn't had any privacy to do so previously.

The silver eyed teen lied awake in her blue sweatsuit pjs and stared up at the high shadowed ceiling of the room she currently resided in. Her mind was heavy, and her heart was sore.

The pain inside chafed at her temper and made her want to lash out but she was well aware of how useless that would be, so Kasha tried to reason with herself. Remind herself that it was only a matter of time. That she should be patient.

The teen wasn't sure how long it took for these circling thoughts to finally lull her to sleep. She hadn't looked at her phone in ages. She'd turned it off because Denki, Ochako and Jiro kept texting her. Even Camie had called twice and texted her even more, knowing that Kasha was supposed to be on shift with her. Luckily Ryuko had already notified the teen's boss at Sugar Stop that Kasha would need even _more_ time off to recover from yet _another_ villain attack.

Eventually the silver eyed teen did doze off. Though Kasha couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour before a scream jolted her and Kouta awake in the middle of the night.

The teen bolted up, silver eyes wide and heart thundering in her chest as she whipped around, breath leaving her in a whoosh when she realized no one was there. It was Kaji. Her little sister was in the futon beside her, thrashing around in her sleep and whimpering.

"No…!" Kaji cried.

The teen met the wide startled eyes of Kouta and Kasha's racing heart calmed somewhat. She offered the little boy a half hearted smile that was visible for once because she didn't wear masks to sleep.

"Kasha-nee…" Kouta rasped, dark eyes darting between the two sisters.

"It's okay Kouta." The teen assured him, carefully scooting over to her sister.

Kaji whimpered, eyes scrunched shut in terror as Kasha reached out, gently cupping the child's cheeks. The teen's brows furrowed with worry when she found the little girl's face to be soaked with warm tears.

"No!" Kaji croaked.

Kasha felt terrible, because she perfectly understood that desperate tone. That was the voice of someone who was terrified. Someone who was desperate to escape something that cripppled them with fear. She never wanted her sister to feel like that. To understand what that type of fear felt like.

"Kaji!" Kasha called, tenderly thumbing away the tears. "Kaji, it's Nee-chan. Wake up for me baby, please."

" _No…!_ " Kaji screamed, fighting against her hold, face contorting and voice shrill with terror. It tore the teen's heart to shreds. "Don't let him get me!"

Kasha's breath hitched.

"NEE-CHAN!"

The teen abandoned her gentle coaxing tactics, wrapping her arms around the seven year old and pulling her close, cradling her against her. Her heartbeat thundered within her chest and adrenaline roared through her being. She knew it was just a dream, that they were all safe but Kasha couldn't _stand_ hearing Kaji sound that way.

"Kaji, shh. Shh, it's me." Kasha soothed, a tiny tremble in her voice as she squeezed her sister reassuringly. "It's me baby I'm here."

Her little sister awakened with a terrified gasp, sputtering, "Kasha-nee!"

Kouta sat still as a statue on his futon, eyes dilated and tears trickling silently down his pale chubby face as he watched the events unfold. Kasha would have to comfort him too. He was just a baby too. But for now...

"I'm here." Kasha swore, kissing the top of Kaji's head. "I'm here baby... I got you. It was just a dream."

"Don't let him get me Nee-chan." Kaji begged, latching onto her sister, clinging to her as she shook from the force of her fear.

"I won't." Kasha cooed, even as her heart split open and bled and _bled,_ again kissing the top of her sister's soft hair. "I won't let him get you. I promise."

Kaji collapsed into gut wrenching sobs, and Kasha held her as her heart ached so bad she felt her own eyes welling up with liquid, rocking the little girl back and forth.

"I _promise_."

Even if Kasha was too weak to protect herself she would not fail Kaji. She would never let _that man_ harm her little sister. She would never let her sister feel the way that Kasha did.

The teen looked up, meeting eyes with Kouta over the top of her sister's head.

"Come here Kouta." Kasha called softly.

The little boy startled out of his makeshift trance, standing up on shaky knees and stumbling closer to the two sisters. Kasha shifted and pulled one of her arms away so Kouta could duck beneath it and snuggle against her side. He was a tough little guy, but he was still a small child. He also knew that both Kaji and Kasha understood his pain on a different level, so he sometimes allowed himself to feel when they were around.

Kasha gently stroked his soft black hair, feeling warm wet splotches begin to bloom against her side where his little face was buried. He didn't say anything but that was okay. He was spooked and Kasha would take care of him and Kaji both.

The reason they were all there didn't even cross her mind while she held the two younger kids in her embrace. All she was thinking about was making sure they were okay.

When the trembling ceased and the sniffles faded a gentle voice called out.

"Kasha…" Came Ryuko's sad tenor.

Kouta pulled away from the teen, stubbornly sniffling and wiping at his runny nose. Kasha turned her head, seeing all of the Pussycats in the doorway wearing their varied pajama styles. But none of them looked happy. Kasha had known they were there of course. The hall light was spilling into the room after all. Shino stepped in, quietly padding into the room and easing herself onto the plush futons the kids occupied.

She reached out for Kaji, giving the teen a reassuring smile, though her red-brown eyes were unbearably sad. Kasha didn't protest, allowing the woman to coax her clinging sister out of her arms so that they could lay down again.

"Kouta, c'mere buddy." Shino whispered, reaching out for her charge.

The little boy didn't even offer a token protest, just scooted closer and snuggled into the woman's side. Both kids latched onto the woman and she held them close, laying on her back. Kasha nodded once to Shino before quietly pushing herself onto her knees, and then into a standing position.

"Kasha…" Kaji protested weakly, feeling her sister's warmth retreat.

The teen frowned, not wanting to leave but knowing that Shino would look after her sibling.

"I'll only be a little bit Kaji." She said, turning away.

Kaji didn't answer but Kasha knew her sister was letting her go for now, thankfully. Silver eyes met mournful blue, and Kasha made her way to the door with a heavy heart and temper lapping at her disposition. The teen walked out into the hallway, squeezing between Tomoko and Yawara.

"We're gonna go snuggle too." Tomoko said, latching onto Yawara's beefy bicep. "Right Tiger?"

"Mm." Yawara rumbled.

The green haired woman and the stern man took no more time to slip into the room with Shino, Kaji and Kouta, sliding into the futons already laid out onto the wooden flooring. Ryuko and Kasha stood in the hallway, eyeing one another.

Having had enough, Kasha pulled the door closed with a resounding click to give them somesemblance of privacy. The younger of the two failed to keep herself from outright scowling because she could _see_ the guilt in her aunt's gaze.

Ryuko knew _._ She _knew_ dammit— and why was the teen just now finding out about something of this magnitude because it'd happened _right in front of her?_

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kasha growled.

"You had enough on your plate Kasha." Her aunt sighed, not even trying to match the teen's mood. "I was just trying to lessen your burdens... if just by a little."

"That's stupid and you know it!" The teen accused. "You can't protect someone by lying to them and keeping things from them. It just makes things worse in the long run. This isn't one of those "need to know" types of things! You should have told me. She's my _little sister_."

"I know Kasha. I just didn't want to worry you." Ryuko explained, looking more tired than Kasha had seen her in a long time. Honestly the teen couldn't even bring herself to care at the moment. "We don't see you that much, I didn't think it would make that much of a difference if you didn't know."

"That was stupid." Kasha huffed, angry because how could Ryuko convince herself of something so idiotic? "She _screamed_ for me. How often does she do that? How often does she wake up screaming at night for me, _needing_ me and I'm not there?"

This utter loss of composure seemed to be the last straw for the blonde woman because her wrung out disposition snapped to and she flung her shoulders back.

"You're a kid too Kasha, it's not just your responsibility to protect her!" Ryuko yelled. "I'm your guardian. I was doing what I thought was right for you. I'm _sorry_ that you're upset by that. But I'm _not_ sorry that I was doing my best for you."

The teen recoiled, jerking back as a deep crease appeared between her white brows. She crossed her arms and declared, "If you had told me that she still has nightmares like that… I'd have never stayed away like I did. Me doing that probably made them worse. The times we spent nights together she slept like a baby. She should've been with me, Aunt Ryuko. _I_ should've been with _her_."

"Maybe, and I'm seeing that now. But you're a kid too. What part of that don't you understand?" The blonde demanded. "If you want to go off to school so that you can have a future you should be able to do that because you have an able bodied adult to look after Kaji. You don't have to do everything alone. Don't you get it? _I'm here!_ "

"And what good did that do me!" Kasha bellowed, silver eyes wild. She watched Ryuko's complexion drain of color as she snarled, "He still found me again. He ripped my fucking clothes off and he _touched_ me and you weren't there! No one was there! And it _sucked_ , okay? So if I can be there for my sister I _want_ to be. So don't you _ever_ keep something like this from me ever again because Kaji doesn't deserve to feel like she's alone and that no one is coming to save her—"

The teen was choked off as her shoulders were seized and she was crushed into a fierce embrace. Kasha squeezed her eyes shut, the bandage on her bottom lip rubbing against the side of her aunt's throat as the older woman forced the teen's bare face against her skin as she held her.

"Oh Kasha." Ryuko said, quietly mournful. "Is that how you felt? Like no one was coming to save you?"

The teen stiffened in the blonde's arms, trying to pull away but the pro hero wasn't having any of that. Slowly Kasha opened her eyes, staring hopelessly over her aunt's shoulder as her fresh wounds were ripped even more asunder.

"That must've been hard for you, Kasha." Ryuko whispered, stroking the teen's hair while her other arm was a steel band around her back, keeping the teen close. "That must've been _terribly_ hard for you."

Kasha's eyes shuttered, because she felt a telling sting behind them, and she was damn tired of that sting.

And yeah.

Yeah, it was hard. But there wasn't anything to be done about it. Even so, there _was_ something to be done for her little sister. It wasn't too late for Kaji. They could protect her. She deserved all the happiness in the world and god damn Kasha to the sorriest pit of hell if she didn't get it for her.

"Don't do this again." The teen whispered, though she knew her aunt heard her. "Don't you _dare._ "

"I won't." Ryuko murmured, holding the teen closer. "I'm sorry, I'll do better Kasha. I'll do better."

"We both will."

There was nothing left to be said about it. Kasha allowed herself to be held, arms hanging at her sides as her aunt fought off her own tears and the teen reflected on the path she'd chosen.

She'd do anything so that Kaji could rest easy and not have to be so afraid anymore. Anything to ensure her parents got justice.

Anything so that _he_ couldn't ever make Kasha feel so filthy again.

And she was already taking steps toward that.

* * *

The next day first thing in the morning Kasha had a healthy breakfast and she set off into the woods. She'd asked Ryuko to keep Kaji occupied because Kasha hadn't bothered to cover up any of her scars for her training. She wore a long white t-shirt and black spanks, hair done up in a high ponytail to keep it mostly at bay. The teen was determined to make the most of the time Ryuko and the Pussycats had given her to "clear her head".

Once Kasha was satisfied with the distance she'd created between herself and the lodgings, she stopped.

The sun was high in the morning blue sky, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. She'd found her way to a small clearing within the trees, where the soil was rich and moist, and she kicked off her sneakers to keep them intact. Her bare toes sank into the soft earth and she was soothed by the fresh air holding hints of moss and sap within it.

Kasha took a deep breath and began to stretch herself out, musing on what she needed to work on. The teen was well aware of her own weaknesses.

One, she had a lot of destructive power but not enough fine control.

Two, she couldn't focus her quirk into individual parts of her body for long periods of time without beginning to harm herself.

Three, most of her attacks while simultaneously using her quirk were explosive. She didn't know how to attack without lethal or near lethal force when using her quirk.

Kasha had been somewhat lucky so far. Her fight with Tokoyami only had her really fighting Dark Shadow. But during the attack on USJ Kasha was pretty damn sure she'd broken a villain's back simply by using the force generated by activating her quirk to kick him. She hadn't had any time to think because Ochako had been in danger, but that didn't take away from the fact that she didn't have the finesse to _not_ seriously injure someone when fighting them with her quirk.

Taekwondo was one thing. She'd been doing it since she could walk. Her kicks were powerful, and she could knock someone out with only one blow in the right place. The problem was, _that man_ was skilled enough in combat all on his own to not be overtaken by her abilities. Kasha's movements possessed predictability because of her time following the rules at the dojo, so she had never once overtaken him with Taekwondo. Not to mention she always seemed to forget that she even knew how to fight when he was around because something about him awakened a primal _fear_ within her. But she just knew if she went out and tried to take him out with combat alone he'd slaughter her. He was bigger, physically stronger, and possibly more combat lethal. So she needed to find a way to fight him so that she could get her desired results.

She didn't want to outright kill him with one blow from her quirk. She'd never be satisfied with that. And she couldn't beat him in a normal fight. That brought to Kasha's attention what she should do to get what she was gunning for. The question was...

What do you get from having no fine control of your own powerful quirk, but fine control over your physical body?

That's the reason Kasha was training.

She was going to channel her quirk into her legs no matter how much it strained her so that she could learn to control her quirk better, as well as get rid of the predictability of her kicks. This would also make them more dangerous and less likely to be fended off by _that man._

She'd admit she was a sucker for large movements when using Taekwondo, but she'd need to tone it down if she wanted to catch _that man_ off guard.

Kasha could be fast when she needed to, but once she got going while her quirk was activated she wasn't very good at changing direction without it being completely obvious what direction she was going for. That wasn't going to fly if she was going to take _him_ on. She needed to be fast enough to avoid any tricks he had up his sleeve and she needed to have enough control to overtake him in a few seconds.

Because _that man_ only needed a few seconds to drug her and take away her quirk, as he had shown twice now.

So the goals of this training were…

One, obtain finer tuned control of Supernova.

Two, combine Supernova with Taekwondo.

Three, decrease her combat windup while also increasing her strength enough to go toe to toe with a fully grown man and serial killer.

"Not too much really." Kasha snorted, straightening up from her last toe touch.

Feeling a wry and bitter sort of amusement, Kasha ran through a few stances and basic kicks to get her blood flowing. She ended this little warm up with her favorite kick.

The white haired teen took a deep breath, remembering the specific commands she was taught for this particular kick.

Relax, focus, and release.

She relaxed with good posture at fighting stance, her right foot forward, the left back, and her arms held up but not tight. Focusing, she held her breath and tightened her muscles.

Suddenly Kasha pivoted her foot, rotating her hip and flinging herself around fluidly, releasing her foot she heard the air part from the swift movement. The teen brought her foot around so as not to lose her balance and bounced twice to stay upright.

The spinning whip kick.

She'd knocked out several people with that very kick in sparring practice and tournaments.

This is the kick she decided she wanted to practice merging her quirk with.

After resetting her stance, her bare feet in the soil, Kasha called on Supernova. A familiar warmth flared up and flooded into her legs. She tried to keep her heat output between 1,300° F and 2,200° F, which were temperatures common for fresh lava. While this was pretty hot, she was probably safer staying within this range at first while trying to regulate her quirk only within her legs.

Said appendages were glowing white, ghostly tongues dancing off of their curves as Kasha began to run through the spinning whip kick over and over again.

Despite how sweat began to bead along her hairline, Kasha continued to bounce twice in place before pivoting and performing the kick again. She could already feel the raging heat of Supernova threatening to overtake her, and she couldn't have been kicking for more than forty five seconds.

Kasha's heated leg cut through the air for the nth time before Supernova flared and she gasped, stumbling on one foot and falling to her side. A small explosion sounded off when she met the dirt ground and her quirk sputtered out, deactivating.

"Tch." Kasha tutted, sitting up and taking a moment to breathe. She checked her legs over, happy to see that they showed no sign of agitation yet, so she could continue to train.

The same couldn't be said for where she was training though. The place where she'd previously planted her feet was glowing a dull orange, like half heated magma in the shape of her feet, and there was now a long gouge rimmed with molten soil where she'd fallen.

With a sigh Kasha pushed herself to her feet.

"Okay, let's try that again." She muttered, moving a little way away from the fresh scars in the earth. "This time I'll aim to maintain my quirk in my legs for at least a minute."

She'd have to not kick one after another though. Maybe four kicks every fifteen seconds? Hopefully she wasn't making things too needlessly hard for herself.

She'd figure it out though.

With a deep breath Kasha began, setting her legs alight.

* * *

After reaching her limit Kasha made her way back to the lodgings. She was a little miffed because she hadn't been able to meet her one minute mark without continuously blowing herself up.

Maybe she just really wasn't built to use her quirk in a certain part of her body? She shook her head.

No. Her mother had been able to do it and their quirks were really similar. The only real difference being that Kasha's mother couldn't fly and her flame form was more feline shaped.

"I can do this." Kasha muttered, thumbing some grime off of her cheek as she let herself into the lodging's front door.

It was just a matter of practice. It had to be. Kasha would do better tomorrow. And even when she felt she was reaching her limit she would remain until she met her damn goal. She was going to regulate her quirk into her legs for a full minute. Frowning, the teen nodded once to herself, determined.

"Ugh you stink."

Kasha looked up, startled as she caught the water bottle chucked at her from down the hall. Her aunt Ryuko stood with a hand on her hip wearing a light blue sundress and white sandals.

"You're really taking this as a vacation aren't you?" Kasha scoffed, unscrewing the top to chug some water down. It was cool and soothing against her parched throat.

"Yes." Ryuko answered without any shame, sticking her tongue out like the absolute child she was inside. "Got a problem with that stinky pants? Just go take a shower before the wallpaper starts peeling."

It was kind of nice to see her aunt acting like her normal self after so much crap had been unloaded onto Kasha, so she took the insults with grace.

"Yeah yeah, your age is showing, hag." Kasha grumbled, walking closer.

She smirked as Ryuko huffed indignantly and fluidly ducked beneath the vengeful swat aimed for the back of her head, power walking toward the onsen.

"Damn brat I don't even know why I put up with you!" Ryuko called, shaking her fist. "I'm eighteen at heart you got that!?"

"I know granny it's fine." She drawled back. "I don't mind that you fart dust clouds, you're the only one who's insecure about it."

"WHY YOU—"

Snorting softly Kasha opened and closed the door to the showers after herself. Yes, she wasn't 100% her normal self, and yes she was frustrated but it was only the first day of her training. She had five more to get her desired results.

And if Ryuko and everyone else continued on as they were, as if things really were normal… well, now that Kasha wasn't so freshly stuck in her head she probably could get back to being normal.

At least with her family.

She wasn't so sure how she'd behave around her friends. Well, again, she had time.

Kasha would cross that bridge when she got to it.

* * *

On day two around ten in the morning, Kasha cratered herself into the soil, her quirk blowing out with a violent emission of white flame, soil spraying up around her in all directions.

"DAMMIT!" She roared, flopping onto her back and slamming her fists into the glowing slop the dirt had become. She'd managed to regulate for a minute with stubbornness alone, but a second over that and Supernova just sort of… well, supernova-ed.

With an angry sigh Kasha sat up, hair caked with red-hot dirt that was already hardening in the pristine strands with the strength of igneous rock.

She stood up and climbed out of the hole she'd created, grimacing as the "lava" she made gushed between her toes harmlessly with a consistency of powder filled paste.

Kasha had put yet another scar in the earth of the area she decided to train in, but it was all in the name of progress. The foot shaped scars from yesterday and the Kasha shaped blob from falling over had hardened, pitch black and riddled with fissures.

The teen slicked her bangs back with her dirty hands, and the shorter strands stuck up every which way, but remained out of her eyes because of the superheated dirt clumping them together.

"For now I'll just try and get the hang of attacking while regulating for sixty seconds." Kasha murmured, taking a moment to indulge in a deep breath.

It was only the second day. She shouldn't expect to meet a goal and then just keep running with that into infinite control. That was preposterous.

She should get the hang of what she just accomplished first.

"Yeah." Kasha nodded once. "I'm being irrational. Calm down Kasha."

She got into starting stance again, calling upon Supernova and directing the warmth solely into her legs, wincing a little when they began to sting threateningly. She controlled her breathing and dulled her heat output slightly, relieving herself of the discomfort somewhat.

When her legs began to glow and give off swaying tongues of flame, Kasha pivoted— swinging herself around in a spinning whip kick. She bounced twice on her feet and repeated the motion, white flames trailing after the movement of her powerful kick.

She noticed after a while that she was shaky on her landing, so she should work on remaining upright and balanced when kicking with the aid of her quirk.

So that's what she focused on. This time she'd brought along with her two water bottles so she could continue to train longer.

And that's exactly what Kasha did.

She continued to regulate her quirk in her legs while performing the spinning whip kick four times every fifteen seconds for a duration of sixty.

Kasha would admit that she continued to stumble while doing this, and she even fell a few times, pissing herself off because she had already mastered this kick. It was her favorite one, and whether her legs were on fire or not, why the hell did she keep losing balance?

She took a break to have some water and cool off a little. She wasn't too tired, but her temper was almost as hot as her quirk at full power, so she wanted to give herself a chance to center.

After dumping the rest of her first water bottle over her filthy hair, Kasha shook her head and got back to work.

* * *

On day three Kasha relaxed her stance and released her control of her quirk.

A satisfied twinkle appeared in her silver eyes. She was absolutely exhausted after training for three hours, but during her last string of kicks she'd performed them perfectly while regulating Supernova for sixty seconds.

A minute of using her quirk in just her legs without blowing herself up or falling over probably sounded pathetic, but it was more than she had been able to do three days ago.

Kasha knew that her mere sixty seconds was a start line for more skill in the future.

She wanted to keep going, but when she shifted her legs ached slightly, so she knew she should give herself a rest so as not to blow out.

"This is good." She told herself. "Tomorrow I'll get on it again, and I'll do them all perfectly."

Clenching her fists, Kasha nodded once, and then she went back towards the camp.

* * *

On day four Kasha was feeling pretty good. Better than she had since she realized how pathetic she was because of the whims of _that man._

She had stayed true to her own declarations and her flaming kicks had been flawless. Of course, it was only the spinning whip kick she could do perfectly but that was only details.

Kasha felt pleasantly worked out, and somewhat accomplished. She was freshly bathed and had donned a baggy black turtleneck and matching socks. Her hair was free from its usual odango buns, as it had been for the last several days, and she wasn't wearing a mask.

The teen was making her way back to the room everyone was using to sleep in so that she could maybe take a nap before dinner, but Tomoko called out to her from down the hall.

"Kasha-kitty!" The green haired woman cheered. "We're all going to go on a hike, wanna come?"

Kouta and Kaji exited the room after the petite pro hero. Kouta wore his trademark horned hat, a black t-shirt, brown cargo shorts, and little hiking boots. Kaji was wearing a light pink t-shirt, dark pink short shorts, and hiking boots as well. Yawara, Shino, and Ryuko brang up the rear decked out in hiking gear as well.

"Yeah, wanna come Nee-chan?" Kaji chirped, eyes sparkling. "We don't see you unless it's time to eat and sleep."

"Kasha's been training, remember Kaji?" Shino placated. "She's probably tired, so maybe we should let her be?"

"Training for what?" Kouta scoffed. "To go get killed by another idiot wanting to spam their quirk at somebody?"

"Kouta!" Ryuko exclaimed, appalled.

"Don't say that you jerk!" Kaji barked, scowling at him.

"What?" Kouta asked, turning his nose up. "I'm not wrong. Kasha-nee is acting like an idiot. It doesn't matter if she trains, she's just gonna go get killed in the end."

"Shut up!" Kaji yelled, tears beginning to shine in her eyes.

Shino looked utterly disappointed in him for his callous outlook. Tomoko blinked, apparently not knowing what to say to that, and Yawara crossed his arms, the muscles straining with the movement across his broad chest as he trained an intense look on the back of the little boy's head. Kasha though, already knew how he was and that she couldn't be the one to change him. She didn't have the means to prove him wrong and he was much too stubborn to listen to mere words, no matter how sound they were. He was only five after all. Even still, that didn't give him a pass for being vindictive and insensitive.

"Kouta." Kasha intoned, silver eyes boring down on him sternly. The little boy stiffened. "You're going to make Kaji cry. Cut it out."

Kouta flinched, hesitantly looking at Kaji, who's cheeks were flushed with stress and eyes wide, brimming with tears. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Instead the little boy looked away from the girl and stared down at his feet, a surly frown making its way onto his chubby face.

"Don't listen to him Kaji-kitty." Tomoko cooed, dropping into a squat to pat the little girl on her head. "He's just being grumpy, he doesn't mean it."

Kouta most definitely had some choice words for that but one look from Kasha and his smart little mouth snapped shut again. He crossed his arms and looked away again, pouting.

With a sigh Kasha said, "I'll have to pass on the hike invite guys. I really do just want to rest. Maybe before I go training tomorrow morning we can play Kaji."

Her little sister seemed to hopefully light up at this, squealing, "Really Nee-chan? You really mean it?"

Knowing after a display like that, that there was no "maybe" about it, Kasha nodded once and grunted, "Mm."

"Yay!" Kaji cheered, unknowingly softening her sister's heart. "Then what are we waiting for guys? The sooner we go the sooner we can come back. And the sooner we come back the sooner it'll be tomorrow!"

Amused, Kasha watched as Kaji did a little dance in place and shot off down the hall.

"Yeah! Onward march kitty cats!" Tomoko cheered, fist pumping and scampering after the little girl.

Yawara's feline shaped mouth shifted, and Kasha got the distinct impression that he was smiling as he quietly followed after the two. Shino and Ryuko shared a wry look before the brunette took hold of Kouta's hand and followed after the others.

"See you later Kasha, get some rest okay kiddo?" Shino called.

"Mm." Kasha nodded. She cocked a brow when Kouta threw a pout at her over his shoulder as Shino dragged him along, but didn't say anything. With a huff he turned back around. Kasha knew that was as close to an apology as she was going to get from the little brat, so she just let it go.

Soon it was just the teen and her aunt, and Ryuko offered a small smile.

"You've been working hard Kasha." She said. "I hope you know what you're doing, and you're getting what you need."

"I am." Kasha muttered.

"Good." Ryuko's smile widened and she playfully punched the teen in her shoulder as she passed. "See you in a bit kid. Get some sleep."

"See you." Kasha bid quietly, making her way into the emptied out room.

* * *

On the sixth day Kasha sat alone at one of the picnic tables in the clearing outside of the mountainside lodging house. The sun was high in the afternoon sky, bathing her form in warm light. The teen's bag was at her side as she waited for the Pussycats, Kaji, and Kouta to finish up inside.

It was time to head back home to the city.

She'd spent her last day in the mountains training like hell, and she was feeling it. Kasha couldn't say she was super confident about what she'd been doing for the past few days, but she could at least say that she'd forced improvement.

Kasha had never had excellent control over her quirk, just the standard amount so that she didn't flame up at the slightest provocation. But ever since she entered the Hero Course and she _needed_ to use her quirk, she found with each use it was marginally easier to control.

With six days focusing on doing one thing that she sucked at, Kasha could definitely look someone in the eye and say— and _mean_ that she improved.

She wouldn't say she'd gotten stronger. But she now could do something that she couldn't before.

All she needed to do now was test it at the Sports Festival.

"Kasha-nee!" Kaji called.

Kasha turned, meeting eyes with her little sister across the clearing, Kouta at her side and the Pussycats carrying their bags.

"Ready to head out?" Ryuko grinned.

Kasha nodded.

She was ready.

* * *

 **I wanted to flesh out Kasha's training more but I just couldn't do it guys. My brain was melting out of my ears.**

 **Does anybody miss Ochako and Denki? I do. *smirks***

 **Can you believe we're almost 20 chapters in? Shit, and nothing's even happened yet lol. I have so much planned. It's gonna be a shitshow.**

 **Hold onto your panties guys 'cause next chapter we're taking off.**


	19. Festi-WHO?

**All of your feedback motivated me to finish this chapter this month, thanks a million guys I love you.**

 **Ugh, Kasha is starting to exhibit Uchiha Sasuke syndrome and that is not smoothies.**

 **I don't own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

Kasha woke up early at Ryuko's place, sneakily distangling herself from her cuddly sister's arms and out of the child's bed before leaving the room and doing a light workout routine to get her blood pumping.

Today was the day.

It was the start of U.A's annual sports festival, as well her first day back at school after her self imposed exile. She was feeling a little absent, like a plane on autopilot, going through the motions of getting ready after her workout and making breakfast for herself and her small family.

Ryuko had informed her on the way back to the city that she'd had seats reserved for the sports festival for herself and Kaji for ages. Kasha wasn't sure exactly how seats even worked but whatever. Her aunt had it covered.

The teen wasn't sure how she felt about her sister and aunt literally being a part of the live audience when she had plans to test out the fruits of her labor from training but Kasha supposed she'd just have to tone it down a smidge.

"Morning kiddo!"

Kasha startled a little, having paused at some point in washing the dishes she used to make breakfast, the sleeves of her school shirt and black leotard pushed high up her scarred arms while her hands chilled in dish water, tickled with suds. Starlight silver eyes found daytime blue, surprised to find Ryuko fully dressed and groomed in civilian attire including a light blue paint suit, cream blouse, and cream colored kitten heels. Kaji was sitting on the couch fiddling with a tablet that was making cartoony noises, wearing a pink blouse and matching skirt as well as some knee high white socks. Kasha blinked slowly at the images she was receiving. Had she really been thinking that much about nothing? Ryuko and Kaji were wide awake and already ready. Kasha must've been zoned out for quite some time.

"You good Kasha?" Ryuko asked, frowning slightly as she tilted her head at her niece.

"Mm." Kasha grunted, tearing her gaze away from the probing one on her to continue washing the dishes.

"Well, alright…" The pro drawled, sounding a bit skeptical as she turned to snag two of the three plates on the countertop. She called, "Squirt, put that dang tablet down and come eat your breakfast."

"Kay!" Kaji chirped back.

Kasha's emotions quietly lulled among her vacant thoughts, which didn't center around anything in particular. She thought she might feel nervous about going back to school after so long but she felt nothing. She was probably purposely blocking out her true feelings but she really preferred not feeling at all.

Well, depending on what was in question of course.

* * *

Ryuko drove the sisters over to U.A and remarkably found a parking space, but she must've noticed Kasha's raised eyebrow because she stuck out her tongue and said she'd had the space for the car reserved too.

Never let it be said that Ryuko Tsuchikawa did anything halfway.

Kasha shook her head at her aunt's smirk as she exited the car. The teen was decked out in her school uniform, hair done up in her signature odango buns and face covered by a fitting black mask attached to her leotard. Feeling the morning sun beaming down on her willowy form and a gentle breeze through her long hair brought her consciousness fully to the forefront.

Her stomach twisted with a sense of dread.

' _I knew this morning was too good to be true.'_ She thought blandly.

If only she was as somber as she usually lead people to believe. The sound of Ryuko and Kaji closing their own car doors pulled the silver eyed teen from her musings and she blinked when she felt arms wrap around her waist, a round face snuggling into her taut abdomen.

"Good luck Nee-chan!" Kaji cheered. "Do your best!"

Kasha's sleepy gaze warmed as she looked down at her sister, reaching up and patting the top of her sibling's fluffy ombré hair.

"Thanks." She murmured. "I will."

Kaji released her to offer her a toothy grin, showing off the feline fangs she'd inherited from their mother, unknowingly knocking the breath out of her sister for a moment. Kasha swallowed thickly, beating down the swelling nostalgia, longing, and soul rending pain. She forced those emotions back into the private places within herself where they belonged.

"We're gonna be cheering you on." Kaji beamed, silver eyes arching closed.

"Mm." The older hummed, nodding once, allowing her own eyes to crinkle slightly at the corners. But it was fake. Kasha hadn't felt much like smiling for days. Smirking as she offered superficial snark was one thing. It was undoubtedly not the same.

Thankfully Kaji didn't have a clue, if her delighted flush and smile was anything to go by. A friendly hand slapping the teen on the shoulder made her shift slightly, pulled from her thoughts as she met the caring eyes of her aunt.

"Knock 'em dead brat." She smirked. "I want bragging rights."

Kasha rolled her eyes.

"Just don't embarrass me while in the stands, I don't want anyone to associate me with a bag of dust that overcompensates to seem youthful."

Kaji giggled behind her hands at their antics and Ryuko's face burned devil red as her face froze in hellish fury.

"WHY YOU LITTLE—"

* * *

Kasha was almost criminally early because the only person in class 1-A present when she arrived was Iida, studiously in his seat and appearing to be going over some notes for a different class.

At her entrance the bespectacled teen looked up, dark blue eyes widening a little as he offered a genuine smile.

"Ah Yūrei-san, welcome back!" He exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you well."

"Mm." Kasha grunted, going to her seat.

"Let us both endeavor to do our best today in the festival." Iida offered, seeming pleased when she offered a slight nod in agreement.

Thankfully even though he could come off as utterly socially obtuse most days Iida picked up on the fact that she wasn't feeling up to conversing and went back to his notes. Kasha rested her elbows on her desk and cradled her covered chin in her palms, staring out the window next to her as the class gradually began to fill up. It was the same song and dance with Iida, people welcomed her back sincerely only for her to grunt back at them in acknowledgement. But her body language was entirely closed off so the peers that greeted her soon steered clear of the uninviting air she was giving off. Kasha was content to leave things simple and quiet like that, but she honestly should've known better.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" A delighted tenor exclaimed, causing her shoulders to stiffen slightly. "Kasha! Babycakes, you came back for me!"

Kaminari Denki flopped himself across Kasha's desk and looked up into her lidded silver eyes with his own deep gold ones. And the pale girl could admit that despite everything, seeing the very first friend she made at U.A did lighten her spirits a tiny bit. But Denki just had that sort of effect on people who really took the time to interact with him.

"Girly friend!" Ochako cheered, elbowing her way into the room, no doubt having heard Denki's obnoxious exclamations. The brunette rushed over, hands in front of her chest, fingertips touching as she gave the taller girl a rosy cheeked smile. "We missed you! Are you okay? I thought maybe you got hit by a truck or somethin' when sensei said you got hurt but not how."

"Wow Uraraka, tactful much?" A wry drawl piped up. Kasha blinked slowly as Jiro came into the room, wearing that small little smile she was known for before giving Kasha a once over. "But yeah. What's up with you Yūrei?"

Kasha blinked some more at her three friends. Ochako was pouting at being called out, Denki was whining because Kasha wasn't paying him any attention, and Jiro was rolling her eyes because Denki was an idiot and Ochako was 'so spazzy'.

They seemed genuinely happy to see her, but the initial spark of happiness that had flared when she saw them had died a quick death.

Because the dread she had felt before coming into the school was back. But it warped into something else, something sour and unbearably bitter. Because Kasha realized something, listening to the carefree chattering of her friends, who's messages she ignored for a whole week but still greeted her with smiles and relief.

She sat there and she realized that she couldn't do it. She couldn't sit down and go on like things weren't utterly ruined. When Kasha met Denki and Ochako she'd had _two years_ to calm down from the raging inferno within from losing her parents. When she agreed to hang out with Jiro, she'd already gotten used to the idea of having friends again. And Camie, she'd already been comfortable with her from working together for so long. But now? It'd only been nearly a week since _that man_ crashed his way through her fragile walls and made her remember that she _wasn't_ a normal kid.

Kasha wasn't the type of teenager who could have these things. She could no longer ignore that fact that she was a blackened mass of pain and anger inside. That she had something that she _needed_ to do _._ With her family she couldn't help loving them. Wanting to protect them and not to hurt them. But the people who had become her friends in recent times… Kasha was just so damn mixed up inside, she didn't want the hassle of pretending like everything was okay for their sakes, so she would just tell them to stay away. They were people she had chosen for herself, so it was easier to break away than if it were Ryuko and Kaji.

If her friends stuck around, Kasha would only end up hurting them anyway. They couldn't understand where she was coming from—and no, she didn't want them too but she knew she couldn't handle them looking at her differently if they discovered the truth. If they knew she was a poor sad little girl with dead parents and the maniac that killed them was obsessed with her.

She never wanted them to look at her the way her old friends from middle school did when they found out. Kasha couldn't handle any more pity.

If she had to see one more friend start acting strange because of her situation she was going to burn something down to the ground. And so, even knowing what she was about to do wasn't fair, that it was cruel and selfish, she slanted a blank look at the people who had become her friends.

"Leave me alone." Kasha intoned.

The shift in the room was instantaneous. Even Bakugo gave her a strange look at the corner of his eye.

"Y-Yūrei." Midoriya choked quitely, having just stepped through the doorway. Kasha ignored everyone as she stared down her friends with a lifeless look in her eyes.

Ochako's mouth fell agape and Denki paused, seeming to assess her for a long moment before a strange look overcame his face. He frowned faintly, and an almost knowing shine appeared in his eyes. He was obviously somewhat offended by the rude dismissal, but it wasn't necessarily making him angry. Jiro on the other hand outright scoffed and crossed her arms, having none of Kasha's attitude.

"The hell's your problem Yūrei?" She demanded, dark eyes narrowing at the taller girl. "The teachers tell us you got hurt but not how, you disappear for a week, ignore all of our texts— and yeah I know that's what you did, you still have all three of us on "unread", and now you're not even going to talk to us?"

Kasha offered her own quiet scoff and turned her head away from them, dismissing them even more. This obviously chafed at Jiro even more because the dark haired girl bristled visibly. Ochako blinked for the first time in several seconds, and Kasha could feel the curious and or uncomfortable stares of all of their peers, feeling a little annoyed at the scene that was being created despite how bluntly she'd communicated wanting to be left alone. Though perhaps she should have been a little more eloquent about it.

"H-hey now." The brunette squeaked, clearing her throat nervously as she held up her hands. "Let's calm down for a second okay guys?"

"I'm calm." Kasha deadpanned. "Just go away."

"Yikes," Ochako grimaced. "Okay um—"

"Yeah." Jiro interrupted her, downright scowling at Kasha. "I think Yūrei here has been pretty clear about how she's going to be right now. I'm _not_ wasting my time on something like this. Yūrei, when you figure out how not to be a bitch to your friends, you know where to find me."

With that and a roll of her eyes Jiro stormed to her seat, thumping her elbow on her desk and planting her chin in her palm, back obviously facing the whitette.

A bitter flood of hot shame and relentless hurt welled up within Kasha's chest but she tried to smother it down, remaining somber in the face by sheer force of will. Denki, who she had been mostly avoiding looking at completely cocked a brow at her behavior and slipped his fingers into his pockets. The white haired teen couldn't help slightly turning to slide her eyes between the blonde boy and Ochako.

"Okay…" Denki finally said, offering Kasha that same dismissive sort of calm he did to Bakugo when the explosive boy lost his temper. "Obviously something's going on with you, and I'm sorry about that. But you're like, really out of line right now so I think I'm just gonna give you some space."

Kasha's eyes flickered away from his without her consent. He was very clearly not happy, and the flood of shame returned, because this was not the first time she had mistreated Denki because of her own personal hang ups. Though hopefully it would be the last.

Because they weren't going to be friends anymore.

Ignoring the near unbearable hot brand of pain that thought caused across her heart Kasha met those gold orbs again. Denki's displeased disposition hadn't changed, and he didn't say anything more before turning away to head to his own seat. Ochako fluttered her hands about worriedly, brown eyes darting between Kasha, Jiro, and Denki.

"Guys…" The brunette protested.

"Whatever." Kasha muttered, blinking away the sting in her eyes as she looked away for the final time.

"Kasha…" Ochako whispered, reaching for her, flinching when the silver eyed girl shifted to give her a view of her back. The brunette pursed her lips, hand faltering and falling uselessly at her side.

Kasha couldn't see the confused and pained look on the brunette's face, but if she did she probably wouldn't be able to stick to her resolve. With a resigned sigh so unlike her Ochako turned away at last and quietly made her way to her own seat.

The awkward silence in the room reigned supreme until Kirishima hesitantly belted out a fake chuckle.

"So!" He began, a little shrill. "Who's ready to smash this festival?"

' _Bless your heart for trying Kirishima.'_ Kasha thought sympathetically.

"Oh me! Think of all the chicks I can impress by blowing the other classes out of the water!" Mineta cried, a rapturous expression curling his mouth and glazing his eyes.

"Come on man…" Sero winced, still a little uncomfortable from the previous drama. "Is that all you think about?"

"You really think you could?" Jiro scoffed, laughing somewhat mockingly.

"Mineta-san, the U.A annual sports festival is a time for us to prove our worth in our seats within this class!" Iida boomed, standing up and chopping his hand at the tiny menace. "You should not be focusing on such frivolous things when your performance today could alter the road to your future! It is also atrocious to display such lewd intentions within U.A's prestigious institution."

"Wow Iida, that's kind of dark don't you think?" Ojiro offered, a little sweat sliding down the side of his face as his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "We're still in our first year and we have plenty of time to prove ourselves."

"Yeah!" Satō yelled. "I think we should all stay positive today and give it everything we've got!"

"That's the spirit my man. You're firing me up!" Kirishima growled, slamming his fist into his open palm with a sharp grin.

"Like you blowhards could hold a candle to me." Bakugo snorted.

"It seems as if the only thing that's blowing is you on your own horn." Tsuyu deadpanned, invoking a chorus of light hearted snickers from some of the class as Bakugo's ears flushed.

"You got a problem with me Frogger!?"

Though Bakugo was ignored in favor of others chipping in to tease him some more, which only set him off, as expected. Kasha ignored everyone as they got into the flow of distracting themselves, soon forgetting about the awkward confrontation between the silver eyed girl and her friends as they allowed the energy of the festival to overtake them. That is, until Aizawa showed up with a resounding bang.

The bandaged man peeked his head into his homeroom class and paused, blandly demanding, "What's with the energy in here? You're all so irrational. Whatever it is, suck it up."

Ah, he must've picked up on some of the lingering awkwardness. He turned his head slightly in Kasha's direction and said, "Welcome back Yūrei. After the festivities today Principal Nezu and I would like to speak to you in his office."

Her gut churned as she inclined her head in acknowledgement. She had a pretty good feeling she knew what they wanted to discuss with her. And she would _not_ be looking forward to it.

The dark haired hero turned back to address the class in full.

"Head to your respective locker rooms and suit up for announcements, the festival is starting." Aizawa deadpanned, leaving as soon as he'd come.

Before Kasha's peers could get off track again as they vacated their seats and headed for the door, a blank voice from the corner of the room piped up.

"Midoriya."

Everyone turned to watch as Todoroki made his way through the crowd of students, his face just as indifferent as Kasha's masked one. Midoriya turned to look at the taller boy, his doe eyes wider than usual at being called out.

"What is it Todoroki-kun?"

"Objectively speaking, I'm stronger than you." Todoroki stated, dropping mouths all around. Kasha blinked, thrown off guard. "You're powerful, and I can tell you will be the one to beat, so I feel the need to let you know that I _will_ beat you."

Kasha tilted her head ever so slightly, waiting patiently to see what would happen since everyone was blocking the door. But even so, she couldn't say she wasn't somewhat intrigued by the turn of events, even if they were unimportant in the long run. Anyway, Todoroki kept mostly to himself, so seeing him flat out call someone out was the farthest thing from what she expected to see from him. But then again she shouldn't expect anything. People only knew what someone was willing to show. Kasha was a prime example of that.

Midoriya's eyes had widened at the bold statements and his head dropped a little after he nodded once in acknowledgement, wild hair shadowing his eyes. Though Kasha didn't think for a second that he'd been cowed. He'd proved time and again that he wasn't someone to be underestimated.

"H-hey now guys." Kirishima protested, holding up his hands disarmingly even as he slanted Todoroki a stern look. "Now really isn't the time to go picking a fight with each other."

"Yeah man come on." Sero shook his head, scratching at the back of his head.

"You really do need to chill." Ashido said, cheeks puffing indignantly.

"I didn't come here to make friends." Todoroki intoned, a cold resolve shining in his heterochromatic eyes. A shiver went down Kasha's spine and Kirishima downright recoiled.

' _That look...'_ She thought. _'Todoroki is somebody who knows something about real pain.'_

But she wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole. Kasha after all, wasn't there to be friends either. Or a therapist, or even a generally good person. She'd kinda forgotten that, despite what she'd told herself whenever it was convenient. But she needn't think about it any longer, because apparently the ice wielding boy had said all he needed to and began to leave, allowing Kasha to push such thoughts aside. Though of course Midoriya wasn't going to leave it at that.

"Todoroki-kun." He called, lifting his head, training a powerful glare on the taller boy that seemed to stun him for a moment. "You're right. Compared to most of you I'm really not that strong."

"C'mon Midori-bro don't put yourself down. You're plenty strong." Kirishima frowned.

' _True enough, but strength isn't the same thing as skill. And Todoroki has both in spades.'_

The green eyed boy offered the redhead a thankful smile before turning his determined scowl back onto Todoroki, and Kasha found herself shivering again.

"Everyone is excited for the festival. Everyone's worked so hard to give it everything they've got." Midoriya began, a fierce shine in his near glowing green eyes. "I'm not going to just sit back and let you have your way, not when I have people counting on me. I'm going to give it everything I've got too."

' _Damn. He didn't come here to play.'_

Midoriya's eyes and the stubborn set of his mouth communicated clear as day, _bring. it. on._

Todoroki seemed to perceive this and nodded once, continuing on his way silently. Bakugo was fuming silently at the display and everyone else seemed somewhat inspired by the curly haired boy's words.

"Well said Midoriya!" Iida commended. "Now on that note, let us all head out!"

A few token cheers were offered up for the bespectacled class president courtesy of Kirishima, Sero, Ashido, and Sato, and then everyone began leaving. Kasha stood aside to allow everyone to leave before her. When she finally made her way out to close the door behind her peers, she turned to find Midoriya standing in the vacant hall, waiting for her.

' _Now what in the world could he want?'_ She wondered. She wasn't in any type of mood to humor someone, and she was sure he had seen that. Though for whatever reason he was still attempting to interact with her. So, for now Kasha would listen. If things became too much she could always walk away.

"Yūrei-chan..." Midoriya began quietly, looking at her. Like, _really_ looking.

Kasha was admittedly unnerved by the shrewd gleam in his normally docile green gaze. So much so she couldn't even focus on the friendly honorific added to her name. But even so, she tilted her head ever so slightly, listening.

He offered carefully, "I don't want to seem full of myself by just saying what I'm thinking, especially after what just happened with Todoroki-kun but… I need to say this."

The girl studied him blankly, and when he saw that she didn't intend to completely blow him off yet the freckled boy swallowed thickly, continuing.

"When I first met you I couldn't help thinking, 'wow, she has really kind eyes'."

Kasha's heart stuttered in her chest and she was unable to stop herself from turning fully to face him. She had not expected that, but he undoubtedly had her full attention now.

"I think I speak for most of our classmates when I say we were worried when you took time off of school." Midoriya went on, a faint blush blooming in his cheeks. "Sensei said that you had gotten hurt, but not how and now that you're back—"

"What are you trying to say, Midoriya?" Kasha asked deliberately, silver eyes narrowing at him.

He flinched at the severe shine in her gaze, but she noticed that he wasn't willing to back down. Once upon a time that determination and earnestness had humbled and even somewhat enamored her. She had cheered him on in her head and even wished him luck and defended him when she saw that he could benefit from someone believing in him. Now it was entirely unwanted. She did not admire the concern in his gaze, the compassion. It only reminded her of how pitiful she truly was. It seemed like everywhere she went she couldn't escape that wretched truth.

"I… it's just that I can't help but notice that— that the look in your eyes isn't the same anymore." Midoriya blurted.

Kasha froze, and they both stared at one another for a long few moments, equally surprised by those words. The seconds crawled by slowly, unbearably tense but she wouldn't allow herself to remain cowed. It didn't suit her. So unsurprisingly Kasha regained her bearings first.

"I see." She intoned, peering at him beneath heavy lids. "Well, it shouldn't matter to you either way."

"Yūrei-chan?" He wondered, brows furrowing in confusion.

"You're a good person Midoriya." Kasha offered blandly, in a way that communicated clearly that she wasn't complimenting him. "The world could use more people like you, but I think you've misunderstood me."

"What do you mean?" He murmured, his mouth a wobbly line as he looked at her uncertainly.

"Gentle and kind people can be somewhat naive." Kasha explained blankly, absolutely no life coming from her eyes as she stared down at him like a stone slab. "You imagined kindness when you looked at me. That was your mistake."

He recoiled, emerald eyes blowing wide. And then Kasha knew that they were done here. So she turned away, feeling a bitter sort of satisfaction uncurling in her chest as she calmly took her leave.

Several beats went by, her light footsteps the only sound in the vacant hall. She was fine going on her way, leaving things at that but even if they weren't close she should've known better. Midoriya really was too sincere.

"I don't believe that!" He called, firm about his perceptions. She subtly clenched her teeth when he drove his belief home with, "Yūrei-chan… I don't believe that for a _second_!"

Kasha scowled and continued silently walking. She didn't falter in her stride but...

Her shoulders were tense.

* * *

Kasha slammed the door to the girls locker room open with a bang that startled her half dressed peers from what they were doing.

She ignored them as she went off to her own locker and then found a vacant isle to quickly change into the school's gym uniform. A dark blue sweatsuit with short sleeves and white and red accents that created a stylized U.A emblem down the front. Though, Kasha's masked leotard kept her scarred arms and throat covered. She took her boots off and slipped on a pair of lightweight white shoes that she didn't care about losing.

Kasha vacated her little hiding place to head for the door, unsurprised to see her female classmates still lollygagging in the locker room. The girls always took a millennia to change for some reason.

She could feel stares against her back as she calmly made her way back to the door, making a point to keep her eyes away from Ochako and Jiro. When Kasha reached out to push open the door, someone's voice halted her progress.

"Yūrei-chan." Tsuyu piped up, speaking to the taller girl's back. "I think everybody knows by now that I'm pretty blunt, so I'm just going to say it."

"Tsu-chan…" Yaoyorozu protested weakly.

"What's with the chip in your shoulder?" Tsuyu asked, obviously brushing off the other girl's concern. "I've noticed that you like to keep to yourself, but you seem pretty down to earth when people take the time to get to know you, like with Ochako-chan and Kaminari-kun and Jiro-chan."

Kasha didn't say anything, and she could almost feel the apprehension her silence caused weighing down the air. Though apparently like with most things Tsuyu just didn't give a damn.

"But you know, the whole class was worried when you didn't show up and Sensei told us you got hurt." The frog-like girl said. "He didn't explain beyond that, but you were gone for a long time, then you come back and you're being really cold."

"C'mon Tsu maybe you should just leave it?" Ashido chuckled nervously. "Yūrei doesn't really seem like she wants to talk right now…"

"I'm only curious." Tsuyu dismissed. "We're her classmates, I think it's fair to want to know why she's acting worse than Bakugo."

"I think that's quite enough Tsu-chan." Yaoyorozu spoke quickly. "If Yūrei-san doesn't want to talk we can't make her. When and if she comes around we can be there for her."

Kasha's head fell forward, a shadow falling over her silver eyes. Slowly, the pale haired teen turned around, gaze slicing into Tsuyu with a severity that had everyone in the room flinching. Jiro looked like she swallowed a lemon, and Ochako's eyes were wide as saucers. Ashido was frowning slightly and Yaoyorozu looked distinctly uncomfortable. But Tsuyu met her gaze evenly, with a level-headedness most girls their age couldn't boast about possessing.

"I'm not going to give you a long speech." Kasha finally said, shadowed eyes chilling the blood of the other girls. "Just stay out of my way, and I'll do the same for you."

"That's what I mean." Tsuyu pointed out, blinking slowly as a large finger poked at her lip. "That right there. Why are you being like that?"

Kasha didn't offer a response before turning away again and pushing her way out of the room.

She was halfway down the hall before she heard hastened footsteps pounding down the hall after her.

"Kasha wait!" Ochako yelled, catching up to her and catching her wrist. The dark look that met her own had the shorter girl immediately releasing Kasha with a hitch of breath. Though, she still matched the bun haired teen's stride as she blurted, "I don't like this!"

The silver eyed girl huffed under her breath and failed to respond further.

"Kasha, I'm serious." Ochako said, looking up at her pleadingly as she nearly jogged to keep up with the other girl's leggy stride. "We're friends right? Why are you acting like such a jerk? If you just tell me what's going on with you then maybe—"

"Maybe nothing." Kasha intoned. "I'm not talking about it. I'm never going to talk about it. It's none of your business or _anyone's._ "

"You never want to talk." The brunette complained. "I just want to help. And even though Kaminari and Jiro seem like they just gave up I think you just really hurt their feelings. Doesn't that bother you?"

Of _course_ it fucking bothered her.

But none of that even had to happen. If she'd had stuck to her guns from the beginning and focused on her goal instead of fraternizing, she wouldn't need to be an ass now and tell them to back off. When Kasha first encountered Denki, she'd thought she didn't really want to make connections to other people. That getting attached wasn't a luxury she had at the moment. She'd told herself things like "Perhaps after she completed her goal." and "Until then, maybe".

What a joke.

It hadn't taken long for Denki to get into her walls, paving the way for Ochako, and then Jiro, and even Camie—who Kasha had kept at arm's length for years. Now look at them. Kasha didn't even want to look them in the eye because she knew eventually the truth would come out and she just didn't want to deal with that.

"Kasha!" Ochako barked, grabbing her wrist yet again as they both stood in the mouth of the tunnel that led to U.A's sports field. " _Listen_ to me! What happened to you?"

The taller of the two girls dragged in a deep breath to soothe the scathing temper that was gradually boiling to the surface. She slowly went to retrieve her wrist, but despite the dark look in Kasha's lidded eyes this time the rosy cheeked brunette was not letting go. Ochako was _not_ one to be trifled with. Once she got serious, she was probably one of the fiercest people the taller girl knew.

And she was definitely serious about talking to Kasha at that point.

"Let go." Kasha ordered.

"I won't." Ochako said mulishly, shaking her head. "Not until you talk to me! What's the matter with you? How did you get hurt, and where were you for the past week? Why didn't you answer me and our friends when we tried to text you?"

Kasha tried.

She'd _really_ tried to reign it in. She knew no one deserved the brunt end of what she hid within herself but at that point she just couldn't behave as if she wasn't in a constant state of suppressed fury.

"I said get your god damn hand off of me before I make you _Uraraka_." Kasha growled.

Ochako's brown eyes blew wide and her hand seemed to become weak, slackening before sliding off of Kasha's slim wrist to swing and fall limply at her side. The brunette's mouth was slightly agape, and the taller girl could see the beginning of a wet shine on the other girl's lash line.

' _Oh god da—'_

"Yūrei what the fuck!" Jiro snapped.

Both Ochako and Kasha looked down the hall to see all of the girls there along with some of the straggling boys from their own locker room, their eyes bulging and mouths slack. And the cherry on top? Of _course_ Denki was there, and she could honestly say she had never seen him look so utterly disappointed before. She couldn't deal with that.

Kasha said nothing and stormed away.

She stood away from her classmates as other first year classes gradually began to fill up the field surrounded by stadium seatings. There was already a large audience accumulated for the events to come, and there was a stage set up for whatever reason as everyone got settled around it.

Kasha began the process of beating down her rampant emotions, frustrated by her lack of self control. There was no point asking herself what was wrong with her because she knew.

She knew and she needed to keep a freaking lid on it if she wanted to pursue her goal without interruption. It also didn't feel good to know she was unjustly treating the people around her.

' _Suck it up Yūrei.'_ She thought angrily. _'Suck it up.'_

With that sobering thought, she took a deep breath as announcements began, mind far off as Midnight stepped onto the stage with ogling stares following her. Kasha allowed autopilot to take over once more as Bakugo was called up and immediately got everyone to hate his guts with that unique ability of his to rub everyone the wrong way.

Before she knew it an obstacle race was commencing as Present Mic and Aizawa-sensei offered commentary over the loudspeakers.

"AND FOR SOME REASON YŪREI KASHA OF CLASS 1-A IS _STILL_ STANDING ALONE AT THE START LINE!" Present Mic bellowed, knocking consciousness back into the bun haired girl.

Kasha blinked slowly as she descended into her body, finding that she was still standing in the tunnel that served as the race's starting point. Said tunnel was coated in melting ice and Kasha was all alone while everyone was well on their way to the finish line.

Without further ado, her body ignited. The gym clothes and her hair bands were reduced to ashes as she blasted off into the sky, a white blur as she followed after all of the participants.

"WHAT'S THIS?" Present Mic cackled. "YŪREI'S SNAPPED OUT OF IT AND IS MAKING A TRIUMPHANT RETURN FROM WHAT SEEMED TO BE A BAD CASE OF STAGE FRIGHT! WOW LOOK AT THAT KID GO! SHE'S GOT SOME JETS ON HER AND IS ALREADY OVERTAKING THE PEOPLE LEFT IN THE DUST BY HER CLASSMATES! I GUESS SHE REALLY DOES BELONG IN 1-A, HAHAHAHA!"

Kasha zoomed in a straight line over all of the obstacles, blowing straight through the head of a zero point robot left in the wake of the other racers, zipping beyond the deep drop and then eventually catching up to her own class.

An explosion went off and the crowd went wild for one Midoriya Izuku.

Todoroki and Bakugo were hot on his heels and Kasha wasn't far behind those two, landing explosively in a crouch as her quirk dissipated.

"AMAZING! SHE WAS THE LAST ONE TO TAKE OFF YET STILL MANAGED TO MAKE IT IN FOURTH PLACE!" Present Mic spazzed. "TALK ABOUT A MONSTER, THIS KID IS SOMETHING ELSE!"

"Yūrei's got a lot of power and good speed." Aizawa offered blandly. "She should focus more on control and keeping her head in the game though."

"Duly noted." Kasha muttered, rising to her feet within the smoking crater she'd created.

Meanwhile her other peers were coming in with admirable rankings in the race. Midoriya seemed to be fighting off tears, and the crowd was going wild at the end results. The top 45 students were allowed to move on to the next event as stated by Midnight.

Kasha stood barefoot in her leotard with her hair down as she waited to hear what was in store for her next. She'd have to pay more attention. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her anymore. There was something she wanted to try out and she wasn't going to be able to do that if she kept zoning out.

Kasha blinked as she listened to what Midnight had to say about the next event. She sighed.

Wow.

And she'd just made an ass of herself to nearly everyone in her class. Though that probably still wasn't as bad as the price on Midoriya's head.

Five million was his worth after winning the first event and everyone smelled blood in the water if the dark, hungry ambiance that had befallen the field was anything to go by.

The green haired boy looked like he was just told he had 24 hours left to live.

"Hey you." Someone drawled, calling for her attention.

Surprised that anyone was willing to talk to her at that point, she turned and grunted, "Mm?"

Kasha only got a glimpse of purple and tired eyes before she felt a fog cloud her mind and glaze her eyes.

* * *

Sometime later cheering and chattering blared around her after everything became clear, but none of it was registering.

Kasha stood staring at her feet, her form trembling ever so slightly.

He had used her.

This being who she discovered to be called Shinso Hitoshi. Anyway, he could have easily just asked her to be a part of his team and she'd have said yes for no other reason than she needed a team and someone showed interest in her abilities.

But he hadn't even given her a chance to make her own choice. He'd used her for his own personal gratification, as if her thoughts, feelings and wants meant absolutely nothing. Kasha hadn't felt so helpless— so _useless_ for a long time.

Well, she hadn't until last week. And she did not miss the feeling. It seemed like the universe was trying its damndest to see Kasha fly off the deep end, and at this rate…

The silver eyed teen blinked, taking stock of what she knew at that point.

Ojiro had dropped out of the competition, though Aoyama decided to continue. Team Shinso had passed the cavalry battle in 3rd place but they hadn't done their best on their own. So it made sense that Ojiro felt that he didn't deserve to continue. Kasha agreed with him. At this point she didn't deserve to remain in the competition. She hadn't given it her all to get this far because the chance had been ripped away from her.

"Even so…" She muttered.

She still had something she needed to do.

She wouldn't let a setback instigated by some overly ambitious troll doll render her training for the past week moot. Besides, constructs such as honor never did anyone any favors. Honor wouldn't serve _that man_ justice. It wouldn't make her parents any less dead, or her sister any less traumatized, or Kasha any less angry.

And so the decision was made. Kasha needed to test _it_.

The technique she had created just for _that man._ So she would, honor and sportsmanship be damned.

' _But first…'_ She thought, turning to make her way toward the tunnels. _'I've got a bone to pick with someone.'_

The white haired teen followed after one Hitoshi Shinso, who she'd spotted making his way to probably go have something to eat, like everyone else.

"Hey." Kasha called, sliding up behind him and snagging his shirt, jerking him to a stop.

"What?" Shinso turned around, tired eyes going a little wide at the sight of her. "Oh? It's you. Gonna throw a fit like your monkey pal and drop out?"

' _Oh? So he's cocky.'_ She thought, keeping a film of calm over herself. _'Maybe I should do something about that.'_

Kasha released Shisno and let her hand fall to her side. He cocked his head to the side, seemingly resigning himself to listening to her. She couldn't stand how he behaved as if she was a hassle. As if he hadn't utterly humiliated three people for his own personal gain. Even still, she had a point she wanted to make, and she had a few things she wanted to say before she did.

"There are very few things in this world that make me truly angry," Kasha began dangerously, her silver eyes glowing in the dimly lit hallway. "Rapists, murderers, people that hurt others because they can, and _people that force me to do things that I don't want to."_

Shinso's eyes studied her shrewdly as she nearly snarled the last part of her explanation, and he did absolutely nothing to defend himself as she pinned him against the wall.

"So go somewhere and cry about it." He shrugged a little, sounding utterly disinterested in the situation. "It was all in the spirit of the competition. I did what I had to do to win, but I guess you hero class students wouldn't know anything about real struggling, huh?"

"That's just the thing, the "hero class" is exactly where you want to be. So here's a bit of advice," Kasha whispered venomously. "Heroes _don't_ use others as a means to an end. Not a good one anyway, so you had better watch yourself."

Shinso appeared to get irritated by her unveiled threat, but Kasha didn't care. She didn't give one fuck. She was so riled up that the thought of Shinso using his quirk on her again didn't even register. All of her restraint went into holding her temper back by the single pitiful thread that remained after the last few days. Truthfully, the only thing keeping her from outright attacking the bastard was the fact that she knew she'd get in trouble. And she couldn't take any risks on her path to getting to _that man._ Though with the way things were going lately, _that man_ might show up before Kasha ever needed to get her heroic credentials.

"Okay? So you're high and mighty enough to tell me how to be a hero just because you're in a hero class? I guess you learn something new everyday." Shinso spat sardonically. "So let me teach you something too, _hero._ I'm going to get into the Hero Course, and I'll do it with my power, _my way._ And at the end of the day, I'll usurp all of you up there on your high horses when I become a greater hero than all of you."

Kasha snapped.

She just completely lost it without warning in a split second. Her hand rocketed forward, the heel crushing against the pale boy's Adam's apple. He choked on his pained gasp, hands flying up only to have his feet swept swiftly from under him. Kasha was numb to his cry as he hit the floor. Shinso barked out in pain when she slammed her bare foot into his side, flipping him over onto his belly to immediately plant her knee in his back. Kasha grasped the back of Shinso's skull, forcing his face to grind against the floor as her free hand wrenched his wrists roughly behind his back. She leaned down so her mouth was near his ear, her bangs falling over her pointed ears and brushing the back of the struggling boy's head.

She refused to listen to him spout anymore tryhard self centered _garbage_.

"Get off me!" Shinso hissed.

"Screw you." Kasha scoffed. Despite her somewhat mild tone, it held abyss black undertones, barely scratching the surface of the rage that scrabbled at her innards as she mercilessly asked, "You think you're going to amount to anything as you are now? Huh? You're pathetic and _weak_. You can't even get me off of you."

' _How do you like it huh?'_ She sneered scathingly. _'Being a prisoner in your own body. Held down against your will at the whims of someone else? It's disgusting, isn't it? Doesn't it just piss you off?'_

Shinso went a little limp, seeming to realize that despite being a boy he had no muscle on her. He could not overpower her.

' _You can't stand being so weak, can you?'_

Kasha's eyes crinkled maliciously at the corners, and a smile creased the surface of her mask as she mockingly cooed, "So get stronger, use your power "however" you want and then come see me when you aren't all talk."

"You—"

"Shut up." Kasha ordered, smearing his face back and forth across the floor, void of sympathy at his resulting whimpers of pain. "The only reason I'm not hurting you beyond this is because I know if I do, I'll kill you."

Perhaps the truth in that should frighten her.

"Y-you call yourself a hero?" Shinso sneered, groaning when she crushed his face closer to the ground.

"At this point I couldn't care less _what_ people call me." Kasha admitted, eyes and tone dead. "Just remember you crossed somebody that you shouldn't have, and the only thing saving you has nothing to do with my conscience."

She stood up, kicking him in the gut as hard as she could, taking vindictive pleasure in his cry of pain. Shinso turned his head as he clutched painfully at his gut, flinching as Kasha peered down at him, her face shadowed by the dimly lit hall, but her eyes glowing bright with hatred.

"You've made an enemy today." She informed him darkly. "Remember that when you dare to show your face to me again."

She turned on her heel in a whirl of shimmering white hair and strode away.

Kasha had no idea that she'd left more than Shinso horrified in that hallway.

* * *

 **-Yeah. So I just didn't want to recap the whole festival since I didn't really change anything. I'm sure if you read My Hero fanfics as much as I do these days you've read about the sports festival over and over again written in slightly different ways. Wasn't going to put myself or you guys through that. But, I can tell you that the one on one battles that I change up are going to be written out. Might take me a bit though, I'm garbage with action.**

 **-Also, if Kasha is pissing you guys off half as bad as she is me that means I'm doing something right. This kid needs an attitude check.**


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